ADB: Pasig River Rehabilitation and Smokey Mountain Livelihood Improvement

Smokey Mountain is a 2 million ton garbage heap that, for over 40 years, served as a waste disposal facility for Metro Manila and attracted a huge squatter community who scavenged the garbage for their livelihood. It is estimated that 30,000 people lived around the dumpsite. Community leaders have revealed that 80 % of the community derived their income from waste recycling directly or indirectly, earning approximately 200 pesos (US $3.50) per day.

In 1990, the Government ordered the closure of Smokey Mountain dumpsite. Former President Corazon Aquino approved a concept plan in 1992 for the National Housing Authority to transform the area into a portside community, including a social housing project for Smokey Mountain communities. To date, twenty one medium-rise housing buildings have been constructed and the communities have been able to move into their new homes. While the new housing program has greatly improved living conditions for some in the area, there is a great concern regarding the exposure of the communities residing in Smokey Mountain to the remaining mountain of waste adjacent to the social housing complex and providing alternative employment opportunities to those who have relied on wastes as source of livelihood.

http://www.adb.org/Projects/PEP/photos/smokey-mt-phi.asp