Hawker Foods

     Hawker foods centers are famous in Singapore and Malaysia which provide affordable delicious meals to the masses. Cooking is a rarity among the middle class who are working as they just go the nearest hawker food centers for affordable daily foods.

Almost all the typical dishes are available 

     When I was working in Singapore, eating at hawker centers was economically viable than cooking myself at home since I was alone. Accessible and affordable and delicious, that's how I would describe hawker foods.

     For years, I've been thinking why such concept is not common in the Philippines, and I think these are some of the reasons.

     Majority of the middle class in Singapore and Malaysia work that they don't have the time to cook, hence hawker foods become a constant part of their lives. In the Philippines, many are unemployed.

     Filipinos are finicky in general being influenced by Spanish customs. Thus hawker centers would be considered dirty so they would shy away from eating in such places as Filipinos are used to eating in malls food courts in cities which are air-conditioned and cleaned in mall standard, influenced by US standards.

     In the countryside, majority are jobless and they rely on daily piecemeal jobs. Thus economically, they'd rather cook and eat at home. The economy of the country play a major role in this. I feel that the Philippines as a country, led by the elites who control the government in all levels, is following the US in many areas as benchmark, disregarding the majority poor masses. Before copying first world standard, the Philippines should increase the middle class then it has all the potential to succeed.