Sun Sets On Payatas Dump

Payatas Sun Set, originally uploaded by suvajack.

In July of 2000, a massive typhoon hit Quezon City, Philippines. It triggered an avalanche from a mammoth garbage mountain that toppled many homes and took the lives of over 2000 people. You might wonder what so many people were doing living in a dump. It turns out that the Filipinos who scavenge Manila’s 7,500 tons of household waste salvage and sell our scraps and recyclables for around 150 - 300 php pesos a day. Thats about 3 - 6 Canadian dollars a day. Ironically 300 php is close to the national average wage.

After hearing about the dump from a friend back home we thought we would search it out next time we were in Manila. Turns out as we had a free day as we awaited the Manila F.A.M.E. show. It would be interesting and a great opportunity to see the contrast from a high-end furniture and design fair to a trip to one of Manila's largest most historic landfills.