BASECO

"A huge fire in a Manila shantytown early Monday hurt at least 23 people, destroyed thousands of homes and left about 25,000 residents homeless, disaster relief officials said. No deaths were reported.
The blaze broke out around midnight Sunday in the impoverished Tondo district and raged for more than seven hours, spreading through 47 acres of the 121-acre compound of the former BASECO shipyard.
The fire was believed set off by a gas tank that exploded, officials said.
Firefighters struggled to gain access to the blaze in the overcrowded area where ramshackle homes line passageways that are too narrow for firetrucks to pass, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said.
Twenty-seven firetrucks and a navy fire boat on a nearby river assisted in the operation.
At least 23 people were brought to various hospitals for injuries, but no deaths have been reported so far, the Office of Civil Defense said.
At least 2,500 homes were burned down, leaving 5,006 families — or 25,030 people — homeless, it added."

A very tragic news that shaked the city of manila and because of this tragedy the hard life of the people of baseco even become harder.Though there were help from the local government and other government sectors it wont still be the same for the homeless people.Little by little they try to stand again from the pain they've experience and just thanked God that no one died.

With all heart and good intentions we journey BASECO. Contrary to what others say that this place is full of goons and bad people that no one will get out here alive,we were welcomed by the warm smiles of the cute children along our walking marathon.With all honesty we were a little frightened but when we see these little children we became to wonder: How can this place be a haven of warm and happy smiles if this place is a scary place? Well the liitle fear we felt in short was gone.
Before the tragedy this place was composed of small houses made up from scrap cartons and sacks floating in the dirty water full of garbage supported by scrap woods to make it stable from storms,big waves and heavy downpour.Got the picture?I bet you will. You can imagine how hard life is for them.But thanks to the good people who have the heart to help these people they have a more stable place to live. A few houses were already made up of concrete although a little smaller for an average family but safer. But there are some who wasnt so lucky or I may say not YET lucky.Because there were so many of them not all of them were lucky enough to have a concrete home. Beheind these houses,there are still families who live in a big scrap materials,patched to have a protection from rain and intense sunlight.They are still floating near the shores and they're old boats they use it in fishing for a small income. You can assume that they dont have enough food for they're everyday living or enough income to make their children go to school or educate them with all the big stuffs we know or teach them to write or read but how come they have this beautiful smiles that a rich little girl sometimes conceive?? the answer is simple..because their contented.Behind all the agonies of life and pain of living they manage to smile.

As we continue to witness the beauty of this place we were again shocked by this picture. This young child is woking so hard in a very very young age where they should be going to school or playing and enjoying their wonderful child years.But for them to get on with their life and have something to eat they should be going.
In our continuous journey in baseco we saw and mingled with little children who were very much excited to take their photos while they are playing.As we watch them we saw how happy and how they enjoyed their lives after the tragedy. But there is this one thing that crashed my heart,a child came to me and asked me: "kuya kelan po kami magkakabahay?" As I watch this child's face with full of different emotions,his eyes seemed to be crying help. I can tell how hard life is for him and how he is longing for a better life.I begin to ponder things like: When will it be? or Will there be? Questions that even I dont have the answers.I just smiled at the child and pat him in the head.I know it wont remove the pain he's feeling but I prayed that someday,someone will help them not for political reasons or show-off but because it came from their hearts.

ESCOLTA

As we think about new profound streets and a flashback of the smiles in our street people's faces,we found ourselves in the middle of a very known place during the late 70's or as what we knew today as the "ESCOLTA" . Back then Escolta was one of the happy streets in the metro,where actors and actresses gather to perform,where bars are known and great food were served in the what we say "alta-de-suidad" restos,where even Dolphy and Panchito do their stand-up comedy.A place known for its beauty,where expensive goods are sold but this fairy tale don't last long. All its fame and cheers and everything were lost and what's even more devastating is what we saw and witnessed in the streets of Escolta...children in a worn out cart sleeping,families with no place to stay and a small amount of food shared by five,with their dirty plates and bare hands they were able to manage the hunger,that even the leftovers in which I believe can have so much germs that can make them sick were being eaten.

Here,we saw children that seems to don't care regardless of what their life may seem or what they have for tomorrow,they're just happy playing like a normal children that doesn't show tiredness. We approached them with our cameras on our hands and a hope that says "please don't be shy",some smiled at us and pose as we try to capture a wonderful spirit but others seemed to be shy and scared as if it's the first time to see such people with huge cameras. They hurriedly went back to their parents whom standing nearby.The father told him to "go on,let them take your picture" with a smile on his face.On the other hand we can see their mother preparing their food with plates that seemed to me like a haven of germs and bacteria.

Slowly the child stepped out from his shyness and played with his siblings as we took the liberty of taking their pictures,as they enjoyed the limelight for the moment.After that we gave them a little help which we know wont change their form of being or how they're suffering but maybe just maybe it will help them for that span of time. We went on but I know inside me that I'm not contented with that little amount I gave them.In my heart I hoped that someday someone can give them enough help for them to live in a clean and simple place.Some place where it is safe for small children to live.

In our continuous stroll in the streets of Escolta, I noticed this old lady sitting in the corner of the street,I hesitate to approach her so I simply took a shot of her in a place not so far from her,but as odd as it may sound I still took the courage to approach her and asked her if I can take her picture.In my mind I know she'll "shoo" me or say no for an answer but with all smiles she looked at me and told me "Yes".I even had a chance to talk with her and asked her name,it was Aling Francisca Pascual a beggar in the streets of Escolta.In our chit-chat she told me that she has no place to stay,no family nor friends,all she has is the wide streets of escolta and the lightpost of these streets. I wanted to talk with her and continue our little chitchat but we have a long way to walk towards the streets of BASECO..Every place has its own stories to tell,every place has it's own original version of ones uniqueness..that's BASECO--also a not so rich place in the metro and a story of a that's yet to be told...

BASECO my next journey...

MY JOURNEY STARTS

I,together with a few of my colleagues stroll along the streets of Manila almost every week to capture the never been seen moments and subtle expressions of the so called "Street Life" in the eyes and faces of the street children. As photography conveys not so much of their lifestyle , it atleast takes our soul to a different level of understanding which we may have left unexplored.So I would like you to journey with me through my pictures and take a peek in my lens so you can have a glimpse of the "BUHAY KALYE".

These photos were taken July 8,2007 a fine sunday. We decided to conquer the streets with a heart full of hope and a small prayer that it would not rain.Our feet led us to Baclaran and as we gaze around it's busy streets we were so amazed on how hardworking others may seem and how other people continuosly visits the beautiful church of Baclaran and offer candles and flowers at the altar.We then get our cameras,take our chances,pushed our luck and look for a good subject.By fate these wonderful kids came to us and let us took a few of their time to let us capture their beautiful smiles,they even showed us their form of living.It's Kind of heartbreaking that they dont have nothing to brag about or reasons to smile for but maybe because that's how i see it-my perception.I wonder where did they get that smiles form?or How can they seem to forget schooling? or do they even know school exists? These children were built by time,strengthen by poverty but nurtured by happiness in their hearts. We may not know how they feel but I guarantee you that there's more to them than just being "batang lansangan".