The Philippine’s fight to end this epidemic disease has been long fought, but still the battle has not been won. This preventable and curable disease has killed and is continuing to kill millions of people, a major health concern in the country that accounts to a huge social stigma. It kills and waste human lives. The incidence rate of TB continues to be relatively high especially among informal settlers in urban unhygienic areas due to various factors such as overcrowding and poor hygiene situations.These are further compounded by the inaccessibility for health workers to enter these areas, insufficient facilities for TB treatment, and the discontinued treatment due to frequent relocation of patients caused by forced evictions. Deficiency of medicines that are required to treat tuberculosis is also a major factor in government hospitals.

During the course of my documentation, one thing that haunts me is their stories. I was overwhelmed with the permission given to me to pass on their individual tragedy–stories of families abandoning patients after being diagnosed with tuberculosis, or of those who pass away without seeing their loved ones. The quest of this work in progress is to give focus on the issue that the solution has been procrastinated for years. Decades have passed but still this ancient disease is still killing millions of people globally, most especially in developing countries such as the Philippines. A poignant reality is the neglect and inadequate support from the government being the major issue why the disease is outspread and still highly prevalent.

Incidence rate of Tuberculosis continues to be relatively high especially among informal settlers in urban unhygienic areas due to various factors such as overcrowding and poor hygiene situation. TB among children is high in these areas because of domestic contacts with family members infected with the bacteria.

An urban poor community in Tondo, Philippines were in residents make a living through junks. These areas were used plastics found in garbage and junkyards, are cleaned manually with soap and water and later sold in a nearby market. Incidence rate of TB in these areas are high due to overcrowding and poor hygiene situation.

Alberto, a resident of an urban poor community in Tondo, Philippines has been diagnosed twice with Tuberculosis. Alberto has not recovered yet from the disease, but he stopped taking medicine due to poor access to health centers. He is staying with his family and they are consisting of five members. According to him, “Due to this set up one of his children is already showing symptoms of Tuberculosis.”

Doctors examined the chest x-ray of a patient with Tuberculosis.

A Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis patient acted hysterically when she remembered her children. According to her fellow patients, she was abandoned by his husband bringing him their children when she acquired the disease. She had no visit for the last 7 months after being diagnosed of having Tuberculosis.

A patient with Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis is in treatment for more than a year but has still not recovered.  According to her, “Medicines are provided here for free, but they are only provided once available.” Deficiency of medicines that are required to treat Tuberculosis is a major factor in government hospitals.

A patient with Multiple Drug Resistant Tuberculosis was given a daily injection.

Guardians and Tuberculosis patients fall in line for food rations.

A patient was confirmed cleared from multiple drug resistant tuberculosis but still stays in the extra resistant ward. According to her, she hasn’t gone home because she doesn’t have money for her fare.

Most of the patient’s relatives lose hope for their recovery.

A nurse trying to resuscitate a TB patient who died right after her relative left him alone in the hospital. Patients without relatives attending them are a common concern in government hospitals. Their relatives will pay them a visit once they pass away.

A morgue in a government hospital in Manila, Philippines- seen with a patient who died from Tuberculosis.

In 2006, the Geneva-based Center for Housing Rights and Eviction (COHRE) cited Philippines as one of the three housing rights violators along with Nigeria and Greece. Today, the situation did not change but exacerbated.

Broken Homes, Torched Dreams is a documentary of the continuous battle that many Filipino “informal settlers” undertake. Giving way to the local and national government’s urban development projects vis-a-vis public-private partnerships, they faced political harassments from public officials and worse, forced evictions thru harsh demolitions.

Forced eviction and distant relocation is the most disruptive issue they are facing. Urban poor communities are blaming the Philippine governance as the root cause of these issues and exacerbate the already bad situation. In every forced eviction, violence often breaks out and greatly affected are the children who bear the trauma of watching their homes being destroyed.

In addition, allocated or proposed relocation sites make adequate living unsustainable – former garbage dump fill, no water and electricity, substandard houses, inadequate emergency services, and too far from sources of livelihood. Due to these reasons, families that had been relocated to these allocated sites, end up selling their rights and returned as squatters in government and private owned lands. For the past years the Philippine government’s performance on the provision of socialized housing has always been dismal despite their contrary claims.

A general view of one of the many evacuation sites allocated by the government for the victims of the demolition.

A view showing an area that will be affected by the Manila Bay Development Project wherein a total of 25,000 houses are in danger of getting demolished involving 75,000 families.

A general view of San Roque community, Navotas Philippines after the fire incident that destroyed a public elementary school and more than 100 homes, killing eleven people, including a six-month-old baby. One of the resident claim that the fire was intentional.

A man playing his guitar on their make shift tent, days after the fire incident that burned their community. Arson probers said the fire destroyed a public elementary school and more than 100 homes, killing eleven people, including a six-month-old baby. One of the resident claim that the fire was intentional.

A portrait of Jesus Christ hangs on a wall of a shanty while a resident takes some sleep.

The demolition team started destroying homes armed with sledge hammer to break concretes.

Residents fled their homes carrying their belongings as demolition ensues.

A kid watched as policemen fully padded, armed with sticks and shields stand guard and formed a barricade line.

Police officers arresting a resident who resisted during the demolition.

A man carries her daughter who was hurt during the clash of local residents and the demolition team hurling stones on opposite sides.

A disabled boy seen in a relocation area waiting for medical attention. He and his family were affected by a number of tear gas that was fired by riot police officers, to affected residents who resisted during the demolition.

These men are trying to recover remnants of what used to be their homes after a fire incident in an urban poor community left 6,000 families homeless. Intentional fire is the quickest way to get rid of urban poor communities that are under notice of demolition.

A mother with her child mourn the loss of her husband. They claimed that poor condition inside the evacuation center and lack of medical assistance caused the loss of their relative.

Children seen sleeping in one of the government allocated evacuation site.

See Art definition.

Nikon D80 / 18 – 55mm DX kit lens.

Leica M6 – Jupiter 12 – Neopan 400 EL 1600 souped in D-76, stock at 20°

Leica M6 – Jupiter 12 – Neopan 400 EL 3200 souped in D-76, 1:1 at 20°