As the saying goes, other people’s trash could be a thing of utmost importance or value to another.

It’s the name of the game in Payatas Quezon City but look down not to any one of them as some “mangangalakal” like our subjects (in photo) here, accordingly earn individually between P1000 to P1,500 a day.

Backbreaking and little stinky the nature of their trade maybe but you would be surprised sometimes you’d see the latest model of cars and SUVs parked right outside “cleaning depot” of these recyclable materials.

But of course, we all know them to be the “trash compradors.”

Truly, there is money in the trash. Lots of it, which reminds us of the long-drawn legal and public relations war between the Provincial Government of Rizal and a town mayor of Montalban before for the control of, you guessed it right, trash landfill. (Rafael Taboy/Benjie Cuaresma/IAMIGO.CNS)