Conclusion
The waste materials that came from every household, commercial and industrial establishment in Naga City and its suburbs, which are collected and unloaded to the dumpsite were sorted and sold by the members of the “Scavengers Organization”.
The waste materials that came from every household, commercial and industrial establishment in Naga City and its suburbs, which are collected and unloaded to the dumpsite were sorted and sold by the members of the “Scavengers Organization”.
No matter how filthy it may seem, the scavengers pursue this kind of livelihood because as they feed their family, they too, are helping the city dumpsite from reaching its full capacity.
Turning trash into cash, taking garbage as an advantage, and regarding waste as a taste of opportunity, that explains the livelihood of our kababayans near the Balatas Dumpsite.
With this, our kababayans say “Supat kan hinangos ko, hali sa basura mo.” They are fighting for life despite all its oddities and keeping on living under such unfavorable conditions that the Balatas dumpsite comes with.
Recommendation
The scavengers demonstrated the fact that there is indeed a living out of the waste materials. And so we recommend:
1. That the government should all the more promote that segregation should start at home. This is not an attempt to take away the livelihood of our humble scavengers or garbage pickers in Balatas but to inspire them to become owners of junk shops.
2. That the city government should give medical or any form of financial support to the members of the “Scavengers Association” as they are the government’s partners is reducing the amount of waste materials in the dumpsite.