Garbage diggers in Manila (NRR)

yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,332 Posts
edited June 2005 in Strut Central
no, i am not joking around here. I just saw a Japanese documentary about one of thousands of people in Manila digging through tons of trash every day to live. This particular documentary was about this 12 year old girl who was supporting 2 of her little brothers, and her mom who has a serious disease. Dad was killed.
They live literally right next to the mounds of trash in the most unsanitary conditions. She collects trash for 10 hours a day, where many people have gotten buried alive or rolled over by trucks. she does the laundry, bathes her two young brothers, and she still manages to smile. She exchanges the alumnimum cans, plastic, and other recyclables for money, every 3 days. Which means they EAT EVERY 3 DAYS. Most of the money goes to their mother's medical expenses in the city. They pour water over their rice (so that the rice gets a little bigger), add salt, and eat. When they get hungry, they drink water. Mom wants to have her youngest son (3yrs old) being taken care of at a neighbor's house, but the kid obviously resists immensely. 10 year old brother starts crying like crazy. All the while, the girl is out there by herself in 90degree heat, collecting trash. Recently, as of May 14th, it has become illegal for kids to go to the trash sites by themselves, due to the fatal accidents.

I hadn't cried this much in a long time....shit is a serious reality check. I hope I don't forget about this.



  Comments


  • DocBeezyDocBeezy 1,918 Posts
    what is the info on this doc?

  • erewhonerewhon 1,123 Posts
    I'd also highly, highly recommend Agens Varda's documentary "The Gleaners and I". Manila makes Paris and the French countryside look like a picnic in comparison, but it is a truly beautiful and moving film essay on garbage diggers and the waste that humans make.

  • slavinslavin 577 Posts
    what's the title of this film?

  • 99Problems99Problems 1,541 Posts
    James Nachtway also visited and photographed some garbage digging sites in Indonesia. You all need to peep this:







    This is also pretty good, deals with children living in subway terminals in Romania. Not for the faint of heart:




  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    Check out the emerald miners from Philippines, they are slaves.

  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    It's good to see those things though. Whenever life gets me down, I think about shit like that. It makes you realize how fortunate we are to be in the US... or whatever industrialized Eurotrash country you hail from

  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    Old news, but very sad indeeed. Glad peole are still hearing about this. Not sure if that's the same Doc I saw a few years ago, but it's a fucked up story that should be aired every month until they get help.

  • mylatencymylatency 10,475 Posts
    It's good to see those things though. Whenever life gets me down, I think about shit like that. It makes you realize how fortunate we are to be in the US... or whatever industrialized Eurotrash country you hail from



    wow I agree with you

    thx for the post Y, gives mad perspective on our wasteful asses


  • yuichiyuichi Urban sprawl 11,332 Posts
    what is the info on this doc?



    It wasn't a movie or anything (although i'm sure there are some), it was just a documentary program on t.v



    I mean it's one thing to read about this stuff, but to see this kinda thing through video footage is quite another experience. I can only imagine how it's like to actually go there and experience first-hand.

  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    The real question is will this make you decrease the amount of trash you produce....i.e. don't buy as much, buy more that can be recycled etc.......

    Also, speaking of the emeralds......what ever happened to the no gold movement in early rap? Now every rapper and wanna be has to have a chain with gemms. Do you care where that stuff comes from people??? I realize a lot of people just don't care, just don't be talkin' "free my people" and then wear that stuff. It's just like animal rights people who still eat meat.

  • el_sparkoel_sparko 884 Posts
    Man, this is like this spot in Milton Keynes i go to, it's actually a garbage dump, and they've got these guys digging through it for stuff to sell, and people donate records and stuff as well. I always have to bring handwipes with me cause i feel mad grimey afterwards and if i have an itch on my face i need to scratch i can't do it otherwise i would get dirt on me. They sell furniture and tapes, and books and stuff as well.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    The real question is will this make you decrease the amount of trash you produce....i.e. don't buy as much, buy more that can be recycled etc.......
    How would that help the people that dig "through tons of trash every day to live"?

  • noznoz 3,625 Posts
    Also, speaking of the emeralds......what ever happened to the no gold movement in early rap?

    what early rap are you talking about?

  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    The real question is will this make you decrease the amount of trash you produce....i.e. don't buy as much, buy more that can be recycled etc.......
    How would that help the people that dig "through tons of trash every day to live"?


    I guess that was a little off topic, but a lot of people have never been to a dump so I don't think they realize how huge they are, plus all the usefull stuff that gets tossed. But basically that was off topic and would have a real direct result other than giving them nothing to dig for and sending them to some other god forsaken job.

  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts
    Also, speaking of the emeralds......what ever happened to the no gold movement in early rap?

    what early rap are you talking about?


    Public Enemy and a lot of the Native Tounges stuff. They were big on the "wear an African medalion and not a gold chain". PE even had a little skit as part of their Nation of Millions VHS. That's why Griff got kicked out of PE cuz he was going off about the Jews exploiting the Africans for gold and gemms.

  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    The real question is will this make you decrease the amount of trash you produce....i.e. don't buy as much, buy more that can be recycled etc.......

    I think of this all this time. It's just amazing how much trash we pitch out on a regular basis. Just amazing. And then I multiply it out across the people in the buildings, on the street, in the neighborhood, city, etc...... I'm surprised we aren't drowning in it.

  • soulwhatsoulwhat 24 Posts
    The real question is will this make you decrease the amount of trash you produce....i.e. don't buy as much, buy more that can be recycled etc.......

    I think of this all this time. It's just amazing how much trash we pitch out on a regular basis. Just amazing. And then I multiply it out across the people in the buildings, on the street, in the neighborhood, city, etc...... I'm surprised we aren't drowning in it.

    and another thing that concerns me...
    My Colon Cleansing Kit

  • GrafwritahGrafwritah 4,184 Posts
    and another thing that concerns me...
    My Colon Cleansing Kit

    Lots of people cleanse their colons. I hear it's good for you. It's also good if you're having a colonoscopy. And if your ass is peppermint flavored afterwards, so much the better in my opinion.

  • BsidesBsides 4,244 Posts
    And if your ass is peppermint flavored afterwards, so much the better in my opinion.


    AYOOOO!!!

  • soulwhatsoulwhat 24 Posts
    and another thing that concerns me...
    My Colon Cleansing Kit

    Lots of people cleanse their colons. I hear it's good for you. It's also good if you're having a colonoscopy. And if your ass is peppermint flavored afterwards, so much the better in my opinion.

    Apologies with the lag time with my response ass i had quite a journey to and from the b-room the past five days and needed time to save money for the entire organ cleansing kit special from this site...i must say...it sure did my body good!!

    in GINGER...not peppermints that are made for the weak after tasters
    ginger is for authentic cleansers; squeaky clean.

    so hooked on pickin' out the trash like a flap would rap 'bout pickin' up trash and the kids are still garbage diggin' in manila like ants marchin' up three flights into a room fool o' wrecks and a dude on the drums banging all afternoon before night falls.

    it's a pleasure to meet you...

  • MoSSMoSS 458 Posts



    Co-Sign. Shit's really dope. Love this film

  • kalakala 3,362 Posts
    i was just in manilla and nothing has changed
    i gave away a lot of money
    not bragging there is no other choice once you are there
    and the city is the most polluted place I have ever been
    it’s akin to living inside the holland tunnel all the time
    filthy grimy jeepney  dank air

  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,794 Posts
    kala said:
    i was just in manilla and nothing has changed



    from around 3:00 mins onwards to the end.
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