Just 15 minutes by car in the Philippines, and I felt the economic gap for the first time in my life 🚧

What surprised me when I stayed in an area called Clark in the Philippines was the gap with the areas around it.

For the first time in my life, I really felt how big the economic gap is.

When you live in Japan, anywhere you live is similar to some degree, right?

I think there are not many places where the world changes all at once within 15 or 20 minutes by car.

But in the area called Clark in the Philippines, I could really feel it.

Clark is an area named a special economic zone.

So the whole town is surrounded by a high wall with iron bars, about 3 meters tall.

The whole town.

To go out of the town, you always have to pass through one of several gates.

And at those gates, for example, modified cars cannot pass.

In the Philippines, there is also a vehicle called a tricycle.

It is a motorbike with a cart on the side, and people ride in it to get around.

That also sometimes cannot come inside Clark.

For these reasons, inside the economic zone, only proper cars drive, and there is not much traffic, so there are no traffic jams.

But one step out of the economic zone, it really feels like Southeast Asia, with many more motorbikes and tricycles, and very bad traffic jams.

Like that, anyway, Clark is an economic zone, so it is very well kept.

It has a lot of space, prices are quite high for everything, and there are many clean places.

This is just how it felt to me there...

• About half of the people in Clark are, of course, Filipino.
• From my personal feeling, the other 30 to 40% are Korean.
• About 10% are Chinese or Taiwanese.
• About 10% are Western people, probably from Europe or America.

Anyway, there are so many Korean people in Clark, and you often see and hear Korean.

I heard that Clark is an area where Korean companies invest a lot.

Partly because of that, the town is clean, and it was a really easy place to live and a very good place.

But once you drive about 15 minutes and go out of the gate, you come to an area called Angeles.

In Angeles, there are many stray dogs, and the town feels very local and full of everyday life.

The world is totally different.

Even when you go to shops, most prices are cheap.

For vehicles too, my impression is that there are many jeepneys and motorbikes.

The buildings also stand close together, and the town feels lively.

Really, just by moving 15 minutes, the world changes a lot.

Clark, clean and easy to live in.

Angeles, just outside, where you can taste the local Philippines.

It is that kind of unique place.

Just going back and forth between these 2 areas made me feel like I took a small trip.

That is how two very different towns were right next to each other.