BASECO BAY
Baseco is a large slum area near the outlet of Pasig River and home to 47 000 people according to the 2002 census. Among many problems including overpopulation and poverty, it also has a low load bearing capacity, making it even more difficult to develop
Baseco is a large slum area near the outlet of Pasig River and home to 47 000 people according to the 2002 census. Among many problems including overpopulation and poverty, it also has a low load bearing capacity, making it even more difficult to develop
At Baseco, the main projects we carried out were mangrove planting and children engagement.
PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN AT SPA
#1 MANGROVE PLANTING
We worked together with an organisation sponsored by Mercy Relief to plant some mangroves along the coast. The mangroves serve as a buffer against typhoons, which the Philippines regularly experiences, while at the same time providing a source of oxygen to offset the massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide constantly produced on the site.
To plant the mangroves we had to dig holes in the ground, which was dismally composed of layers and layers of plastic and rubbish. Trash of all varieties littered the whole shore, from seat covers to sweet wrappers to underwear. Where the shore tapered off into a swamp, the water was nothing but black sludge. One of the organisation workers was naturally quite attuned to her surroundings, so she would plant the mangroves in those swampy areas. When she dipped her hands into the watery hole and lifted them out again, they were covered in grey slime.
We were wearing gloves, hence many of us didn’t mind so much when we had to use our hands to pat the soil together. Nevertheless, we found it discomforting to be unable to feel anything but trash through the rubber gloves. We left very solemn - many of us never having seen so much garbage and plastic agglomerated in one place before, and the sight of it piling up and not biodegrading at all just made the idea of plastic so repulsive for a long time after. When you think about how people have to live in environments like these, it is a sobering notion. When you think about how that mountain of trash we had to work with is probably an infinitesimal amount compared to the amount of trash generated on a global scale, it is all the more sobering, and it’s a startling introspective wakeup call to examine your own wasteful consumerist habits.
#2 CHILDREN ENGAGEMENT
After our morning with the mangroves, we proceeded to a small school in the centre of the slum, also funded by Mercy Relief, to carry out some activities with the children at the school. Here, we played a number of games with the children, who were nothing short of bright, vivacious and full of energy.
After introducing them to games in the likes of 老鹰捉小鸡, AEIOU, H2O, among other, we took them inside and practiced English with them by reading simple storybooks. They were eager and excited to learn, an infectious spirit that made the trip all the more worthwhile and fulfilling when we saw the beaming smiles and endless wonderment on their faces.
Storytelling Session
Shapes
Playing Games
#3 POTATO-CHIP WRAPPER WALLETS
After the afternoon session with the children at the school, we made our way to a centre in a separate part of Baseco. As part of a microfinance scheme, residents at Baseco are trained to make items such as bags, wallets, pencil curses, mats, shoes out of unwanted potato chip wrapper with print defects; items that can be sold to enable them to make a living. Before we embarked on the trip, we had also sold some of these items o their behalf in Singapore as part of our pre-trip preparation, and gave the profits back to them upon our arrival in the Philippines.
These items are marvellously ingenious, vibrantly colourful and refreshingly simple and original. When we arrived at the centre, we were given a short training session on how to make out very own wallets and pencil cases. Our weaving experiences with the tribe certainly helped to speed up the process.
It wasn't easy making the wallets, and we spent close to six hours just working on one of them each, till it was dark out. It made us realise how much work went into it, and left us with a renewed sence of respect and admiration for the residents in the community, who work tirelessly to make these potato-chip wrapper products just so that they can earn a little more to feed their families.
The wrappers are taken from the factories and brought to the centre, where they are cut into strips
The wrappers are taken from the factories and brought to the centre, where they are cut into strips