Hundreds of homeless families forced to sleep in tunnel in Manila
About 100 homeless families are living beneath a major highway in the Philippines. But while rats are rife and the air stinks of sewer water, the inhabitants aren’t complaining. Here’s why
READING LEVEL: ORANGE
A heart-wrenching video has revealed the difficult living conditions faced by 100 homeless families living under one of the busiest highways in the Philippines.
About 300 people have been filmed living in makeshift homes under Manila’s busiest highway, San Andreas Bukid, by YouTuber and travel vlogger Drew “Binsky” Goldberg.
But while the roughly 100 families living in the underground “tunnel village” face unsanitary* conditions caused by excessive damp, piles of rubbish and vermin such as rats and cockroaches, many of the community appeared happy and resilient*.
Manila, the sprawling capital city of the Philippines, has a growing population of more than 13 million people, with those living in poverty often struggling to get by.
According to charity Depaul International, an estimated 4.5 million people across the Philippines experience homelessness, with about two-thirds living in metropolitan Manila.
Not-for-profit humanitarian organisation World Help said impoverished* families make their own homes wherever there’s room, whether that’s underneath bridges, inside tiny homes in city slums, and even in cemeteries.
In his video, Mr Goldberg said poorer families were being pushed into spaces never meant for living. It was unclear whether or not Mr Goldberg had sought permission from residents to visit and film but he was guided through the tunnel by a former resident named Edwin, who lived below the freeway as a teenager.
Edwin said many people moved down there because they couldn’t afford to rent a conventional home.
According to Edwin, despite some men working and making money for their families, they continued to live in the tunnel because it was more affordable.
“Once you live here, there’s no restrictions, there’s no boundary. Even cockroaches and rats go inside your house,” Edwin said.
The deeper Mr Goldberg went into the tunnel, the more he experienced “unbearable smells”, he said.
“There’s trash everywhere, it’s like sewage water. It’s narrower and tighter and super, super humid and sticky,” he said.
“And everywhere you look, there’s just another family that’s living here. It’s one of the most absurd living situations I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Families could be seen crammed in tiny rooms, unable to stand tall, surrounded by hanging clothes and mattresses, all in one, confined space – some with up to eight people living in one room.
Mr Goldberg was shocked to discover some families had access to electricity, including a small shop at the end of the tunnel.
He came across an 18 year-old woman named Precious who lived under the freeway with her husband, daughter, sibling and mother, who was pregnant. Her mother’s husband also lived with them.
Precious said the hardest part was when it rained and they had to evacuate straightaway because of rising flood waters.
However, she told Mr Goldberg she was happy living in the tunnel. She has called the underground village home for five years. Her husband earns around $12 a day working in a car wash. Electricity costs them $24 a month and rent $14.
“We’re very happy. It’s one big happy family,” she said.
Mr Goldberg said he was blown away by the positivity expressed by so many families living in such hot, dank and cramped conditions.
“It’s so sad in there from the outside, but when you actually talk to people (they’re so resilient),” he said, adding that the residents had such positive mindsets.
Edwin said some people had lived in the tunnel for many years.
“The most difficult part is when you see the same kids and now they have families, they’ve grown up and their situation is still the same,” he said.
One woman by the name of Ate, who has two young kids, had lived in the tunnel her entire life.
She said her husband didn’t have a job but made money by scavenging for things to sell.
The oldest person living in the tunnel was an 83-year-old grandmother. She had also lived in the underground village for her entire life.
When asked the best and worst part of her underground home, she simply said, “I am happy”.
Mr Goldberg said what he saw in the underground village left him speechless.
“Watching how they (the parents) protect their kids, build routines and hold onto their dignity inside these tunnels has completely reshaped the way I see the country that I’m lucky enough to call one of my homes,” he said.
Mr Goldberg’s mini-doco has been viewed five million times in two weeks, and has attracted almost 10,000 comments from people equally stunned by the locals’ challenging living conditions.
One person commented: “Life feels different when you realise that what you call “normal” might be someone else’s dream.”
Mr Goldberg said that while it’s heartbreaking to witness, the tunnel was “somehow still full of light, because even with almost nothing, these families keep showing up with joy and resilience”.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- unsanitary: dirty and likely to cause disease
- resilient: the ability to deal with challenging times and bounce back when life gets hard
- Impoverished: very poor
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QUICK QUIZ
1. How many people live under San Andreas Bukid?
2. Why are so many people living in this tunnel?
3. What are some of the tough living conditions the inhabitants face?
4. How old is the oldest person in the underground community?
5. What is the population of Manila?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design a logo
What do you think Aussie kids your age can learn from the people in Mr Goldberg’s video? Brainstorm as many ideas as you can think of.
Time: Spend at least 10 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education, Personal and Social Capability
2. Extension
“In videos like this, YouTube vloggers are taking advantage of poor people, not helping them or anybody else.”
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a very convincing paragraph that answers this question.
Time: spend at least 20 minutes on this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.