Originally published 2019-05-13.
On the evening of Tuesday, 9 April 2019, a motorist stuck in heavy traffic in Parañaque, Metro Manila, noticed a woman and a small boy on a thin mattress on a traffic island beneath the NAIA Expressway on Airport Road. The boy was playing, and his mother joined in, lifting him into the air as cars crawled past. The motorist, Ameniel Del Mundo, posted photos of the moment on Facebook, and within days they had been shared around 20,000 times.
The pictures moved many people. They also started an argument about how we look at poverty, and whether calling a homeless family "happy" helps them or lets the rest of us off the hook. Both reactions are worth understanding.
The moment behind the photos
Del Mundo later told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that he had been stressed about problems in his business and grumbling in his car when he saw the pair. Watching the boy and his mother play, he said, reminded him that a parent's love does not depend on money or possessions, and made him reflect on how much he had and how little he was appreciating it.
Ameniel Del Mundo's photos show the mother and her son on a mattress against a concrete pillar beside a busy road, with traffic lights glowing behind them. The second frame catches the moment she lifts the boy above her as he laughs. The images were taken from a car on Airport Road, Parañaque, on 9 April 2019.
In a follow-up post he summed up the lesson he took from it: "We cannot choose the circumstances that happen to us, but we can choose to be happy whatever the situation is." For many readers, that message was the heart of the story.
Why the post divided people
Many commenters agreed with him, saying the photos proved that being with the people you love matters more than material things. Others pushed back hard. One widely shared reply put it bluntly: "Only those who are privileged and rich would label this as being happy and contented."
The critics were not attacking the mother or her obvious affection for her son. Their concern was the framing. Describing a family sleeping beside a highway as content can quietly suggest that their situation is acceptable, or even admirable, when it means exposure to traffic fumes, heat, rain, violence and the constant risk of being moved on. Sociologists and aid workers call this "romanticising poverty": treating hardship as a source of inspiration for comfortable onlookers rather than as a problem to solve.
(The Facebook post originally embedded here is no longer available.)
Both things can be true at once. A mother playing with her child in difficult circumstances is a genuine moment of love and resilience. The same family still needs safe shelter, income and support, and a joyful photo does not change that.
Homelessness in Metro Manila
Metro Manila is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world, and thousands of people live on its streets, under bridges, along waterways and in informal settlements. Families often come from the provinces looking for work and end up unable to afford rent. Others lose housing after illness, eviction or a disaster such as a typhoon or fire.
Street families face particular risks. Children may miss school, and families can be separated when authorities clear an area. Living by roads such as Airport Road also means constant exposure to vehicle pollution and accidents.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) runs outreach for people living on the streets. Its Oplan Pag-Abot programme, launched in June 2023, reported reaching 973 people in Metro Manila by December of that year, offering crisis assistance, temporary shelter, referrals to local governments and help returning to home provinces.
What happened to the mother and son?
After the post spread, many people offered to help. Del Mundo went back to the spot on the following Friday and Saturday, but the pair were no longer there. He told followers he was still searching and planned to return. There has been no confirmed public report that the family was found, which is common in stories like this: people living on the street often move, and viral attention can make them more wary rather than less.
Photographing people experiencing homelessness
This story raises a question anyone with a phone faces: when is it fair to photograph and share strangers in vulnerable situations? A few principles used by photojournalists and charities are helpful:
- Think about consent. The mother in these photos almost certainly did not know they would be seen by tens of thousands of people.
- Protect children. Avoid sharing details that identify a child's exact location or name.
- Tell the whole story. If you share an image of hardship, include context about the circumstances rather than only a feel-good message.
- Turn attention into action. If a photo moves you, contact the local social welfare office or an established charity, which can reach the family safely.
How to help street families in the Philippines
If you see a family living on the street in Metro Manila, the most effective step is usually to contact the local barangay or city social welfare office, or the DSWD, rather than handing out cash on a busy road. Registered charities working with street children and families can also use donations for food, schooling and shelter in ways that last longer than a single gift.
The photos of a mother lifting her laughing son beside the traffic remain touching. Their most useful message may be the one the critics added: that love deserves respect, and so does the need for a safe place to live.
Sources: photos by Ameniel Del Mundo (Facebook); Philippine Daily Inquirer: Mother, son playing on road touches motorist's heart (April 2019); Daily Tribune: DSWD Oplan Pag-Abot (2023).
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