Valentine's Day

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Why would I be showing you garbage on Valentine's Day?

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Forgive me. I hope you will understand. There are many causes and places and people I care about, many blogs that educate me and push me to be a better person.

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One such blog is this one: http://my_sarisari_store.typepad.com/my_sarisari_store/

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It is the blog of a special man, a friend, who is a photojournalist in the Philippines. His is a most special blog, one that will both make you sad and make you proud. Either way it will make you AWARE, and on Valentine's Day I think it's a good day to be aware.
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Recently Sidney has been highlighting the people of hapilan in the Philippines. Where they live is where Pier 18 is located, which is a transit point for Manila’s garbage going to a landfill located in Navotas.

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The leading source of income for the residents of hapilan is scavenging this garbage at Pier 18.

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The other source of income is charcoal making. For eleven years, the charcoal-making business has been the primary source of livelihood of 400 families. There are around 36 holes used to produce charcoal, located by the seashore of Manila Bay.

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This is poverty. This is how poverty looks in Ulingan around Pier 18 in the Philippines.
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This is how Sidney describes it:

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"My impression of Ulingan when I first visited the place was that of Dante’s Inferno. A place enveloped in thick fumes with pitch black people and half naked kids working in extremely unhealthy conditions. The people are dirt poor, the kids have to work all day long and they are obviously malnourished and sickly. Many of these people also have lung problems caused by the environment."

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Last week I heard that the people of Ulingan will be forced to make place for another “recycling” company (similar to the one operating Pier 18). All the houses and the charcoal factories will be demolished to make place for the arrival of tons of garbage.
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So please consider this my valentine this year:

Click on image

This is a no frills organization to help with poverty in Ulingan. They will barely make a dent, but even a dent means something.

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I don't know what I will do yet. Money? Time? Prayers? Maybe making this my Valentine post is a first step. I just want you to be aware too. Because, let's face it: we are family.

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Love
kj

photos taken by Sidney and used without permission but I know he won't mind