Pea hikes deep into the mountains to visit a family living a completely off-grid provincial life. She tours their bamboo-and-nipa house, their gardens and farm, and documents how they survive on a combined income of roughly 800 pesos ($15 USD) per week with no electricity, no running water, and almost no possessions. The video is a detailed, ground-level portrait of extreme simplicity — and the family's unmistakable contentment.
The family
- Ate Marley (the wife), age 50-51, birthday August 26 — Pea says she doesn't look anywhere near 50
- Kuya (the husband), age 54 — also looks much younger; Pea attributes it to organic food and fresh air
- Three daughters: ages 7, 5, and the youngest (toddler)
- All four family members sleep in a single room of a small bamboo house
- Married 22 years
Ate Marley's mini garden
- Grows spices, flowers, vegetables, and herbal plants
- Products are a mix of personal consumption, selling, and giving away free to neighbors
- Specific plants shown: sunflowers, spring onions/scallions, bok choy, and a purple "blue ternate" flower used medicinally — soaked in water and drunk for high blood pressure and kidney problems
- She waters everything by hand with a bucket system, carrying water from a nearby river
- Works the garden every day as her full-time job
- Earns 200-300 pesos per week (~$4-6 USD), reduced because she gives produce to neighbors for free
Kuya's corn farm
- Farms roughly one hectare of land — which is a substantial plot
- Plants corn that takes four months to grow; doesn't need daily watering, just relies on rain
- His kids help plant the seeds during planting season
- The family eats all the corn themselves — none is sold
- Also has banana trees that bring in about 500 pesos per week (~$10 USD)
- Combined family income: approximately 800 pesos/week ($15 USD)
- They have virtually no other expenses since there's no electricity or water bill
The land
- They don't own the land — it's government-owned, and they are tenants
- Under a government program (CLOA), if they farm the land long enough they'll eventually be awarded ownership
- The family has been living here for 30 years
The house tour
- Built from bamboo planks and cogon grass (nipa)
- Kitchen ("cocina"): two makeshift burners using firewood; no LPG gas; fire started with dry leaves and kerosene
- Diet: vegetables and corn most of the time; rice only when they have spare money; corn is hand-milled
- Cutlery: one fork, four spoons, no knives — but they have a machete and a scythe (Ate uses these for gardening and, Pea jokes, "if Kuya is misbehaving")
- Living room, dining room, and bedroom are essentially the same room
- Sleeping arrangements: a makeshift mat made from sacks on the floor — no cushion, no mattress
- Lighting: a single kerosene lamp; no electricity at all
The children's life
- School is about six kilometers away — they walk there and back every day
- Their playground: a makeshift hammock made from a fishnet; they also climb trees and play hide and seek
- Zero toys — no Barbies, no games, no video games (no electricity)
- Pea notes the playground reminds her of her own childhood
Entertainment and daily life
- During siesta time, Kuya plays music and Ate sings — that's their entertainment
- No phone, no electronics
- The detached outdoor bathroom/shower is tiny — Pea jokes she barely fits and could "hit her head"
- Ate also washes clothes at the shower area
Connection to town
- No transportation of their own
- They go to town only once every two months via jeepney
- Round trip costs 200 pesos (~$4) — almost a full week's worth of Ate's garden income, which is why they go so infrequently
Relationship dynamics
- Pea asks who's the boss: "No boss — 50/50"
- She asks about their intimate life with three kids in one room — they wait until the kids fall asleep (kids sleep early)
- Plans for the future: this is their "forever home" — they plan to stay here permanently
Pea's gift
- Before leaving, Pea gives them a large supply of essentials so they won't need to make the expensive trip to town for about four months
- Ate gets emotional and starts crying
- Pea promises the next video in three days (the follow-up where she returns with bigger surprises)
