Anyone who has traveled in the third world can’t help but notice the extreme poverty in which many of the people live. The Philippines are no exception to this. You see examples of it almost everywhere you go. In the cities you see beggars (Despite the fact that most cities have ordinances against begging or giving to beggars) and homeless living in the streets. Sometimes you see whole communities of squatters. (These are people who live on unoccupied land that belongs to someone else.) Some of these people have employment some do not but even the ones who are employed make wages to low to provide for themselves.
In the Cities and larger towns you will see beggars. Sometimes they sit on the sidewalk sometimes they wander through traffic knocking on car windows when traffic stops. It is a sad site to see. However before you give to these people there are some things you should know. Things are not always as they appear. Many of these beggars especially the children have managers who take most of the money they receive. Often the poor girl with the baby has borrowed the baby from a friend or neighbor so she can get more money. Some of the children begging have homes and are trying to pick up money for snacks or video games. Many of the true street children are rugby addicts (Glue Sniffers) and will spend the money on their habit not on food.
Another consideration before giving money is the people you give too will remember you and they will ask you every time they see you. Sometimes quite aggressively. Also any others who saw you give will also ask. I normally do not give money to beggars. I will sometimes give them fruit or food. That way at least you know they will eat it. If you offer someone food and they refuse it you know they they are not as deprived as they appear. So what can be done? Giving to individuals in the street does no long term good for them. Also in some places you can be fined for doing so.
Unemployment is high and opportunities are low especially for those who cannot afford education. Wages are very low so many who work are still on the edge of poverty. So this will continue to be a growing problem as the population rises. The Philippine government provides few services to the poor. Religious and Charity groups provide assistance as well. A number of expats with available time and money assist these groups with their work.
I have listed a few charity groups I am aware of in the links on the right column of the page. There are of course many others if you inquire. Not all charities are created equal so you should look into the services they provide and how the donations are spent before you contribute. I say this because some charities use a very large portion of the money donated for administrative costs. The more used for this purpose the less that makes it where it is really needed. So do a little homework to be sure at least most of your money will be used for what you intended it for. If you don’t want to contribute cash but still want to help look for a charity that accepts volunteers for their projects.
My purpose for this post is not to solicit for any particular organization or charity but just to offer some thoughts about what foreigners might do if they wish to help those around them who are truly in need. While most are not as rich as many Filipinos believe we are it is still possible to make a difference in a positive way. 
Many thanks to you Mr. Tom for listing those Charity groups on your blog. And I agree with you that “hilippine government provides few services to the poor.”
Yes it is a sad thing to see. The Philippines isn’t really that poor of a country it just has a lot of poor people. Hopefully someday they will develop an economy that gives opportunity to move ahead to everyone.