Life in the Payatas Dumpsite of Manila, Philippines

On 21st Jun 2014, I visited the Payatas dumpsite with the help of friends from Kalinga Holland, a non-profit org via volunteering programs that helps children living in poverty in this barangay (small town/village). From Manila I travelled to this place called Quezon City, Payatas with a public transportation which took me about 1 hour to get there.

I then met up with the Kalinga team member Chase and Aunty Joe. The moment we reached the entrance of this village immediately I felt like I was in a different world. The strong smell of garbage welcomed me with the sound of children playing in the same streets.

Payatas dumpsite is still the largest open dumpsite in the Philippines and was reopened only months after the year 2000 disaster at the request of scavengers and other residents of the area who depend on it for their livelihood. On July 11, 2000, a landslide of junk killed 218 people living on the dumpsite and caused 300 missing persons, though many first hand accounts note that the number is far greater and much closer to 1,000.

I walked around this dumpsite for two days and had a headache, later I planned to stay in the school (Papaya Academy) nearby that is managed by Kalinga where children from this area are sponsored to have an educations and a better life. It was an amazing experience to see how this two worlds are put together by a non-profit org and felt the life of these kids living and working in this dumpsite. I spent 2 days there to visit the dumpsite and meeting the students.

Below are some images of my days spend in Payatas dumpsite in Manila.

A local man from the Payatas district washing plastic material to be sold for recycling

I then followed him to the location where the trucks were waiting in the dumpsite. While walking there I saw children playing and mothers in their homes.

A local worker cutting sheets of recycled foam that is made into bed foams and mattresses that will be sold in the nearby market. A source of income for some here.

One of the sites in Payatas dumpsite, children and locals work in this conditions daily. It smelled so bad I had to come out of this place as I had a pounding headache and I was covered with filth.

She is only 18 and pregnant, currently living with the parents as her boyfriend has left her. She reluctantly told me that this is life today and she will have to find a way to bring the child into this world and find work to care for it.

One of the Papayas students, she is one of the lucky kids who have been sponsored for an education by Kalinga.org.

A local girl coming out from her home, most of the homes here are build close by in a maze like structure. I would have got lost if Aunty Joe didn’t guide me through.

A mother holding on to her son while they cross a narrow bridge in between years of build up garbage.

A playground for some, a work place for others. A home for all of those living here in Payatas dumpsite – Manila

Boys posing for me in front on tons of garbage that comes from city folks in Manila. funny that this world exist only hours away from a big city and nothing is done about it till today.

A worker carrying the load which is about 80kg-100kg to a nearby truck to be sold for his daily income. They told me they do this for hours and daily for money which is spent on food, gambling and cigarettes.

One of the Papayas Academy student after school. I got a change to see her in school too.

All of Kalinga.org projects provide structural support to children and their families living in the vast Payatas garbage dump on the outskirts of Manila, the capital. Over 30,000 people live on this mountain of waste, and they survive by collecting and separating aluminium, plastic and cardboard waste. Children are often required to work from a very young age.

Kalinga founded the Papaya Elementary School for the children of the Payatas dumpsite. Kalinga offers the students at Papaya six years of free primary school education.