Urban Contradictions

This picture was taken by Diane, a Gomburza colleague, after we attended the Earth Day Mass presided over by Cardinal Rosales of Manila. We had breakfast at Tapa King, right beside the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It was a beautiful day. I was struck however by this: imagine moving from the garbage dumpsite that was Smokey Mountain to Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard... The contradiction could not be greater, at least for me who also used to work at Payatas, another garbage dumpsite. And on certain Sundays, I preside at mass with the community of Kristong Hari of Montalban, where a new dumpsite has just been put. I seem to have a predilection for or connection to dumpsites... I hope to put up the photo that was taken of the Gomburza group at Smokey Mountain... Smokey Mountain is being repristinated as a habitat for urban poor. In any case, there are things to be experienced in dumpsites, and musings to be made over their existence...