Alain Masiero - Photo stories

Manila - An ordinary Sunday at BASECO's beach

Baseco, also known as the Baseco Compound, located in Manila's port area, is one of the poorest communities in the city. Around 47.000 people live there. Ecologically, it is a very sensitive place. Here, the Pasig river, the lifeline of Manila, joins the Manila Bay. A big part of Manila's uncollected garbage, via the polluted river and the sea tides, ends up on Baseco's shore.

Every weekend, when the weather is hot, residents from the area and other impoverished neighborhoods around, enjoy a fresh bath at the beach, Baseco Beach. Not your usual beach, a bit of sand on the sea shore, but the dwellers love it. It has a huge quality: unlike expensive resorts in Manila, it is free, and if bathing there is not allowed, due to the high pollution of Manila Bay, it is rarely controlled.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the same ritual occurs. Starting at 5am, volunteers from the community clean the beach from all the garbage accumulated during the week. They collect all the waste and then dispose it along the road, for the city to collect it. Then, once the cleanup is done, at about 9am, the beachgoers start arriving, some with their tents and picnicware.

Coliform bacteria levels in Manila Bay are very high. Swimming in these waters can lead to various diseases such as typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, and dysentery. "We have not yet gotten rid of pollutants such as those from untreated wastewater being discharged into the bay, so we strongly advise the public, especially children, to refrain from swimming in the bay for now" said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu. The water is unfit for swimming, but it is hard to prevent children from playing there in the hot days.

The efforts and hard work of these volunteers is touching and admirable. Despite the inadequate sewage system and lack of trash management of the city, they take pride in maintaining their place as clean as they can. They do their best to keep it enjoyable. It is their home.