DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- A garbage dump in the central Philippines has become a place of leisure for local people attracted to its aviary, orchidarium and fishpond.

The a 2.5-hectare dumpsite in Dumaguete City now boasts an ecological park with some 50 bird species and various kinds of trees, orchids and other flowering plants. A grotto stands beside a fishpond.

One hectare of the dumpsite, which was opened in 1965, still receives garbage from 27 villages, averaging 80 tons daily.

It was only in 1997 that the local government undertook "serious planning" for the garbage dump, after civic and religious groups demanded its closure, dumpsite supervisor Rogelio Clamonte told UCA News.

Before that "there was no control over the dumping" at the site, which is also home to some 80 scavenger families, the engineer noted.

Sanitation officials began using chemical treatment to remove the odor and eliminate flies and other pests while civic groups organized community programs to plant trees and landscape the area, Clamonte said.

Volunteers help the dumpsite supervisor in sponsoring seminars on composting, waste processing, segregation and recycling.

He said the volunteers promote recycling of "not so sellable" garbage like thin plastic bags that can be processed to make candles. Meanwhile, he added that the local government plans to construct a composting plant to process biodegradable wastes in the area.

In 2000 the Manila-based Asian Institute of Management cited the dumpsite as an "outstanding place," recognizing residents' sense of volunteerism to restore ecological balance in their community.

Father Lonilo Torres, head of the social action office of Dumaguete diocese, told UCA News that "curious" local residents tour the area and spend time at the park.

Among the scavengers who live in shanties around the area is Victoria Andres, who earns up to 1,000 pesos (about US$19) on weekends from selling recyclable materials picked from the garbage.

A scavenger for more than 20 years, Andres told UCA News she has become used to waste picking though she often suffers from cough and backache.

Scavengers also bag and sell soil from a part of the site where garbage is not dumped.

Father Torres noted that the local government plans to close the dumpsite in 2005 to construct a 1.5 million-peso tourist resort featuring splash pools, fountains and tree houses. Hence, he said, his office is preparing other projects for scavengers who will be displaced and "out of work."

Dumaguete City is located on Negros island, some 640 kilometers southeast of Manila.

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