And these are just from natural causes, disasters due to armed conflict (muslim secessionists in the south and Maoist rebels all over the rural areas in general).

And isn't as bad as it looks though. Economic progress, albeit at a lower pace (after we lost out our export sector because of the very low labor and tax costs of Vietnam and China) continues.

Manila and its environs do have a lot of homeless migrants from the provinces who think that Manila's roads are paved in gold. In the same way that many better-off Filipinos think that America's roads are paved in gold. Some made it well and suceeded but for the vast majority, they ended up in slums, beg, become criminals or prostitutes. Immigrants to the US are somewhat better able to cope and better 'armed', most of them are educated but they still have to work two jobs.

Social mobility is slower in the Philippines than it is in the US though.

As for the annual natural disasters, it is part of life. Everybody somehow is prepared with a few cans of sardines, dried fish, rice, instant noodles, lots of candles and matches, and batteries (for transistor radios to get news) and other essential things when a typhoon strikes.