"Payatas: A Mirror of Poverty is a film about the tragedy that occurred last July 10, 2000 in Bgy. Payatas, Quezon City. This community consists mostly of day laborers and scavengers that go through the mountain of garbage that serves as the repository of garbage for most of Metro Manila and its suburbs. On July 10, the mountain of garbage collapsed into the adjoining shanties that line up the area and killed hundreds of people including infants and small children. The exact number of fatalities is still unknown to this day and the number rises or decreases depending on who you are talking with. The film hopes to portray the events that unfolded and the perspectives of the different actors and players in this community, which serves as a miscrocosm of how the Philippines is governed today. The film also hopes to present alternatives with which people could respond to crisis like this.