MANILA, Philippines – Even before the crack of dawn, the day’s work already begins for Riza Santoyo, as she pedals a bicycle with a light blue metal cart along relatively empty roads in Quezon City.
Santoyo is one of thousands of Filipinos whose lives are intricately tied with others’ refuse. Whether collecting from the streets or scavenging in landfills, waste pickers sort and recover valuable scrap, such as recyclable plastics, and sell them to junk dealers for a living. As a result, these materials are returned to the loop instead of overcrowding landfills or, worse, leaking into soils and waterways.
In July 2000, more than 200 waste pickers died after a towering heap of garbage in the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City collapsed and then burst into flames. The tragedy was seen as a catalyst for the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act No. 9003, which prohibited open dumps and laid down rules and regulations on proper segregation, collection, treatment, and disposal of solid waste.
Local governments also spend millions of pesos for garbage collection, transport, and disposal. By segregating wastes and recovering recyclables, waste pickers are essentially “subsidizing” governments with their unpaid service, Dias said.The National Solid Waste Management Commission itself underscored how the informal waste sector was “left out” in the solid waste management law.
After collecting materials across the city all morning, Santoyo stations herself at a sidewalk along NIA Road, across the stretch of slum houses where her family lives. On a good day, Santoyo earns at least P300 ; on other days, less than P100 . One particular day, she received P330 from the junk dealer in exchange for nearly 60 kilos of bottles and cans. She would have to divide the day’s earnings for the family’s meals and other needs, as well as school supplies for her kids.
It’s a story shared by many women waste workers. While their husbands can take on other jobs, women either are left behind to work with waste, just choosing to do so. The flexible hours allow them to still look after the children and manage the household while bringing additional money in for their families’ needs.“Usually, men are the ones tapped for opportunities in formal waste work,” said Anj Aguilos of EcoWaste Coalition.
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