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Happyland (Aroma Temporary Housing) (Manila) | housing complex

Philippines / National Capital Region / Manila
 housing complex  Add category
When President Fidel V. Ramos, during his term in the mid-1990s, shut down the decades-old garbage dumpsite called "Smokey Mountain," concerns were raised on how to alleviate the lives of hundreds of scavenger-families living inside and around the notorious mountain trash heap.

The plan was to turn the hellish site into a residential paradise for former garbage scavengers. So, while several concrete mid-rise apartment buildings were being built over the old Smokey Mountain -- the National Housing Authority built several buildings made of low-cost materials to "temporarily house" the former Smokey Mountain dwellers.

Thus, "Temporary" was born. It has been two decades now since the "temporary housing site" was built; the residential buildings are now dilapidated and structurally hazardous, the number of residents have doubled!

A deteriorating, highly congested "refugee camp" surrounded by mini garbage dumpsites -- "Temporary" is now also known as "Happyland" -- a name derived a local dialects name for smelly garbage: Hapilan.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   14°37'21"N   120°57'31"E

Comments

  • ajuju (guest)
    lol at the name
This article was last modified 8 years ago