Batang pier: A documentary on a group of children in Pier 18, Tondo who dive for junk to earn money

• Main Authors: Adraincem, Camille Angeli C., Recuenco, Paola Camille B., Saquido, Michelle Loise C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2008
• Subjects: Documentary films; Poverty > Philippines; Philippines > Economic conditions; Philippines > Social conditions
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/6697
• Institution: De La Salle University

For the residents living in the port area, the body of water beside their homes is polluted and is home to a myriad of infections, bacteria and diseases. The irony is that this water gives people a source of income, but only for those brave enough to risk their health. This is how the children of Pier 18 in Tondo earn money. Children whose ages range from 10 to 14 years drive in the polluted waters to retrieve junk and sell to the junk shop located near the entrance of Pier 18. Out of these children, only three are given focus and featured at a more personal level. Their struggle to cope with poverty taught them to be mature, resourceful and practical. Aside from junk diving, their other activities such as collecting scrap metals from trucks, playing and gambling somehow created a great impact on their relationships with neighbors, friends, classmates, teachers and family members. Through this documentary, the children will be the ones to impart their own experiences. In this way, the audience may be able to get a glimpse at what these children consider as their own reality .