ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses that the istambay phenomenon in the Philippines is a manifestation of the deeply rooted structural defects in both the systems of economy and education in the country. As an attempt to unravel the social in the lives of the istambays, the chapter narrates the layers of transition crises that directly impinge on their development towards gaining a legitimate status. These are poverty of families, institutionalized cultural capital crisis, and social mobility crisis. The chapter explains how the transition crises may be reversed through an analysis of both the social sufferings and spaces of hope that these istambays share, negotiate, and anticipate. It endeavors to paint a story of Filipino istambays who, have been the subject of media attention but have remained under-researched and taken for granted by policymakers. Inactivity halts the growing-up process of these istambays in securing a legitimate space in Philippine society.
