Navotas is located along the fringes of the North of Metro Mania. Its elongated land area lines the Manila Bay on one side. It is dubbed as the "Fishing Capital of the Philippines" since many of its residents derive their livelihood directly or indirectly from fishing and related industries. The city boasts of a modern container port, city hospital and city hall. Businesses, modern warehouses, container terminals and container parks dot the area. Unlike bustling cities with towering buildings in the Metro, Navotas with its roadside stores and commuters in bicycles and decorated tricycles have a character and charm uniquely its own. That said however, what left a lasting impression on me is the residents living in extreme poverty. Poverty encompasses age, sex and physical appearance. In Metro Manila, the urban poor live in idle or neglected property (both private and public), streets, embankments and under bridges. They are referred to as informal settlers or squatters. Normally, I'm used to the nicer side of the Metro even if I do see these communities behind a car's windshield. Seeing them up close and really observing even for a moment however, can still put one in silent disbelief. Here's an impromptu shoot of what I've witnessed during a trip to the area for a meeting. It was a dreary overcast day. Comments are closed.
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John EdwardThe blog is about the Philippines... the less photographed side of it. My hope is that as I develop the series, the story I tell about trivial life in the country resonates with its readers. CategoriesAll AAA- The Philippines Alabang BGC Taguig Cebu Chinatown General Santos Makati Mandaluyong Manila City Navotas Pampanga Pasay Quiapo |