Shanty town destroyed in Philippines
- 13 years ago
Residents living in one of Manila's many shanty towns fought demolition teams Monday to keep their homes.
Armed with crow-bars, workers grabbed corrugated metal sheets and wooden planks from residents who struggled to keep their grip.
Although a warning was issued to residents days ago, more than half of the 48 families living there refused to leave. The private businessman who owns the property said he offered families nearly $1,000 U.S. dollars to leave.
One resident who's called the community home for decades said she's worried about where to go.
(SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) SHANTY COMMUNITY RESIDENT FLORIDA HEMINAGO SAYING:
"We no longer know what to do because of what they did to us. We have no choice but to sleep on the streets. We don't have homes, we don't have money. We have to sleep on the streets."
Manila is home to the largest number of informal settlers in the entire country with over 300,000 families living on empty government and private lots.
Julie Noce, Reuters
Armed with crow-bars, workers grabbed corrugated metal sheets and wooden planks from residents who struggled to keep their grip.
Although a warning was issued to residents days ago, more than half of the 48 families living there refused to leave. The private businessman who owns the property said he offered families nearly $1,000 U.S. dollars to leave.
One resident who's called the community home for decades said she's worried about where to go.
(SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) SHANTY COMMUNITY RESIDENT FLORIDA HEMINAGO SAYING:
"We no longer know what to do because of what they did to us. We have no choice but to sleep on the streets. We don't have homes, we don't have money. We have to sleep on the streets."
Manila is home to the largest number of informal settlers in the entire country with over 300,000 families living on empty government and private lots.
Julie Noce, Reuters