TO A DUMP
A visit to the Scavengers Association at Payatas
And who could forget his first visit to the
sprawling settlements which encircle the smoking, towering, stinking
mountain of garbage at Payatas, in the Philippines?
Or to the federation of savings collectives which has become the
Philippines Homeless People’s Federation’s senior sister?
Here are some first-hand accounts from
a team of community members from Bicol, on their first exposure to
Payatas, back in 1996.
Miloy I was already worried, right from the
start - my first time traveling to Manila from the province. I
approached some people whom I thought wouldn’t fool me. They directed
me to the jeepneys going to Payatas. Reaching Payatas, I wondered what
kind of place this is! There was garbage all over the place.
Someone directed me to the Parish. I tried looking around and saw the
sign Scavengers’ Savings Association
on the door.
Dora I was treated like a member of the
family. Where I stayed, water was a big problem. The pump there is good
only to fill one pail for taking a bath. Nothing would come out
afterwards. So, if you need to go to the "convenience room",
it would be very difficult.
Virgie We visited the dumpsite and even did
scavenging ourselves. One woman got angry with us since the system is
that dump-trucks are already negotiated for, even before they arrive.
Anyway, we got the right timing when one truck arrived loaded with retaso
(cloth scraps) which you can made into pillows. We started picking them
up, then another got angry. Covering our nose is not allowed here
because they feel insulted, that’s what I observed.
Lina Mang Boy Awid toured us around. We
covered practically all the streets of Payatas! We visited some
families, members of the savings program. People are really united in
savings - they were even remitting their savings in coins! The
person in the savings office was a Bicolana too. I worked with
her three times and she showed me filling out records, receiving savings
remittances, and issuing receipts.
In Bicol, I’m a market vendor. The
other vendors asked me about the real score of the savings
program in Payatas. I told them you may not believe it at once, but what
comes in and out daily is about 100,000 Pesos! In fact one day savings
was about 114,000 Pesos, and what went out in loans was about 83,000
Pesos. There are days when loans are bigger than savings.
Miloy I told my colleagues in the
Tricycle Drivers’ Association to join the savings. I told them
that - modesty aside - somebody in Payatas bought a jeepney out
of his savings. Persistence is all it takes. There in Payatas they have
answers to their necessities due to savings. It might be dirty and
smelly in Payatas and houses may just be small and makeshift, but
they are complete with appliances.
Tita For me, it is good to go there - actually.
It makes a difference seeing the actual instead of just hearing
stories. If a speaker talks about something, you would still be
wondering if it is really so, while if you personally see it, you
will not have any qualms.
