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Rural vs. Urban Communities: Which is Better?


I have lived in the urban jungle for almost half of my life. Also, I have been a probinsiyano for half of my life as well. I have had some of the ups and downs of my life in these two communities. I have played, studied, and worked both in the city and the province.

I have had my elementary and tertiary education and call center work in the city. In the province, I had my primary and secondary education and my current teaching work. I have some of the partners both in the province and the city. I have also met some of my greatest friends in these two communities. This is why I am so confused why some people are comparing the two.

In the online world, the so-called netizens have spoken to which is better: the city life or the provincial one. Some say that provincial life is better regarding landscape and environment, but some are convinced that education and work opportunities are way better in the city compared to the province.

Since I have lived in the best of both worlds, I will do my best to share my insights into some of the aspects of the city and provincial life.

Pollution

I believe that we know the answer to this. Should I still elaborate? Kidding aside, since most of the business activities are done in the cities, then pollution is one of its by-products. Some even believe that progress equates to pollution. Various forms of pollutions, whether it may be garbage, water, air, or noise pollution, are way higher in the province compared to the rural communities. This is the reason why people are flocking to the tourist spots in the province to lessen their stress because of this pollution.

In these terms, the province won with a landslide.

Resources

We will be talking about resources in general (human and commodities). If you want to have things as fast possible, then the city is what you need. Since it is considered to be the center of businesses and commerce, work opportunities are usually abundant in the city (as long as you are not picky). Whether it might be government work or jobs in the private sector, there will always be a work that suits you. Do you want to have a managerial role in a digital marketing agency? One click on various work websites and the jobs will literally show their way to you (as long as you are qualified).
On the other hand, there are also job opportunities for those people who want to work in the province. Unlike what the city has to offer, the resources are scarce in the province. There will be jobs, but it will not enough to support the population.

Let's now talk about the commodities. Resources are also not scarce in the city. Whether it might be the basic or the not-so-basic commodities, the city got it all for you. In the province, you need to travel your way to the city to have something that your local market does not offer. Examples include digital supplies. You badly need to go to the city to have your supplies.
Winner: City

Quality of life

I believe that this is very difficult to quantify. If we are talking about the general status of life of an individual, then we should focus on the welfare of the people. I believe that people from both the city and provincial communities are both happy and satisfied (at least based on my personal experiences). Even though that both communities have some problems and issues, the people are doing their best to surpass all these hindrances. In times of disasters, both are resilient and flexible.
Both communities are both winners in this round.

 

If you want to see some museums, then go to the city. If you want to see nature, go to the province. Both communities offer various tourist spots. It just depends on the taste of the visitor. These communities offer the best tourist spots. It is just up to us on where we will go (or if we have the funds).

Winner: both communities.

The problem with our generation is that we usually put things into false dichotomies. We want to box things into categories even though it is not really necesary. Like this scenario that I presented above, both communities have their advantages and disadvantages. It does not mean that one is better than the other. Let's just make sure to protect the two communities so that the future generation can still utilize these.

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