Determinants of Economic Dependency on Garbage: The Case of Payatas, Philippines

Poverty remains at the forefront of worldwide concern. Poor communities continue to emerge in marginal places like dumpsites. This study determined economic dependency and assessed the determinants of dependency on garbage in the Payatas Dumpsite, Philippines. About 841 householders in the “with dumpsite” and “without dumpsite” communities of the Payatas estate were systematically sampled and interviewed. Unobtrusive and participant observations were conducted to supplement survey findings. Regression analysis disclosed the determinants of dependency. About 38.90% of respondents were economically dependent on the Payatas Dumpsite, where they work either as scavengers, vendors, or junkshop operators. Significant determinants of dependency were gender, distance to the dumpsite, and education (P < 0.05). All economically dependent activities (scavenging, vending, and operating junkshop) at the Payatas Dumpsite are lucrative in terms of the earned net income, and this dependency is greatly influenced by their distance to the dumpsite, gender, and education.