Inside The Philippines MOST Deprived Town Built on Garbage! 🇵🇭 (Smokey Mountain)

Summary

In this eye-opening video, the creator explores Smoky Mountain, a vast landfill in Tondo, Manila, where families live in makeshift homes made from discarded materials. Despite the harsh living conditions, the community persists with resilience, often scavenging for food and goods to sell. The video highlights the daily struggles and the surprising optimism of the residents, offering an honest look into life in one of the Philippines' most impoverished areas. From local stores to a makeshift church and even a swimming pool, the content captures the stark contrast between survival and hope in a community built on waste.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Smoky Mountain in Tondo, Manila, is a former massive landfill where people live in poverty-stricken conditions.
• 🏚 Residents build makeshift homes on top of garbage piles using scavenged materials and repurposed items.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Around 500 families, or 2,000–3,000 people, live in Smoky Mountain, including many children.
• 💰 Locals survive by scavenging for food, metals, bottles, and small items to sell or recycle.
• 🐶 Pets, chickens, pigs, turkeys, and small gardens are integrated into daily life, showing community resilience.
• ⛪ The community has social hubs like Jesus Mountain Church, which residents attend regularly.
• 📶 Despite limited resources, some residents have access to internet and gaming through shared Wi-Fi connections.
• 🌱 Vegetables, bananas, coconuts, and other plants are grown locally for food and cooking purposes.
• 🚨 Safety hazards exist due to sharp objects, toxic waste, and unstable structures, but residents adapt to these risks.
• 🏙 Smoky Mountain starkly contrasts with nearby affluent areas, highlighting the severe economic disparity in Manila.

Q & A

What is Smoky Mountain, and why is it significant?

Smoky Mountain is a large landfill in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, known for being one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the region. It became a settlement where people built homes on top of garbage heaps, scavenging for valuable materials. The area holds historical significance as it was once a massive rubbish pile, now partly covered with dirt in an effort to reclaim land for habitation.

How did people originally end up living in Smoky Mountain?

People moved to Smoky Mountain, hoping to improve their lives, often from other provinces in search of work. They built shacks out of found materials and started scavenging for food, metals, and other items of value to sell. This was particularly true after the massive garbage pile was covered with dirt in 1995.

What challenges do people living in Smoky Mountain face daily?

People face extreme poverty, inadequate living conditions, and limited access to basic services. They live in makeshift homes built from trash and scrap materials. The environment is hazardous due to the presence of toxic waste, sharp objects, and health risks. Many children grow up not knowing a different way of life.

What is the government’s involvement in Smoky Mountain?

In 1995, the government attempted to address the situation by covering the massive rubbish pile with dirt, hoping to encourage vegetation growth and stabilize the land for habitation. However, the overall infrastructure and social support remain insufficient.

How do locals in Smoky Mountain manage basic necessities like food and water?

Locals often rely on scavenging, with some selling food or items like drinks. A scene in the transcript shows a local woman selling soft drinks in recycled bottles. There's also mention of locals using coins for Wi-Fi access and having small shops or street food for sustenance.

What are some examples of resourcefulness in Smoky Mountain?

Residents of Smoky Mountain demonstrate great resourcefulness. For example, they reuse discarded materials to build homes, create fences from old mattresses, and use recycled bottles for drinks. Some even find ways to grow food like papayas and bananas in the limited space they have.

What role does the community play in Smoky Mountain?

The community plays a critical role in maintaining daily life in Smoky Mountain. With around 500 families living in the area, social interactions are common, and many individuals rely on small businesses or informal economies like selling drinks or local produce. Children, despite the hardship, also find ways to connect, such as playing online games or participating in street activities.

What does the visit to the local church in Smoky Mountain reveal about the area?

The visit to Jesus Mountain Church highlights the presence of spiritual and community life even in such challenging circumstances. The church serves as a place for worship and community gathering. It also demonstrates the resilience of people in Smoky Mountain, who maintain faith and communal bonds despite their hardships.

What was the significance of the encounter with the local animals, like the cat and the pig?

The encounters with the local animals, including a cat and a pig, serve as a glimpse into the everyday life of Smoky Mountain’s residents. It highlights the resourcefulness and simplicity of life, where even animals play a role in daily survival and community interactions, often acting as companions or sources of food.

What does the contrast between Smoky Mountain and other parts of Manila, like BGC, reveal about inequality?

The stark contrast between Smoky Mountain and upscale areas like Bonifacio Global City (BGC) underscores the deep economic inequality within Manila. While BGC is a modern, affluent district, Smoky Mountain remains an area of extreme poverty, showing how wealth disparity coexists in close proximity within the same city.