Lost symbol in Philippines

• Prize
• Photographer
  Yusuke Harada, Japan
• Website
  http://www.yusukeharada.com

Erstwhile symbols of poverty in Philippines, Smokey Mountain and Scavenger, are already passed into history. According to World Bank, in 1991, 40 percent of households lived in poverty. This had fallen 32 percent in 1997. One of the reason that Philippines government forced to close main Smokey Mountains and evicted scavengers from there in mid-1990s. As the result, poverty rate had gradually decreased until years ago and in Metro Manila, one of the central hubs of a thriving metropolitan area, skyscrapers and first-class hotels are lined and big shopping malls are always crowed. It seems that poverty problem in Philippines is changing for the better.

But this is not true. In actual fact, poor people are on increase and the gap between rich and poor people is getting wider. According to UNDP, the number of poor people increase more than 2,000,000 people in recent four years and will rise by degrees. Philippines is the only country to increase poor people among the countries of Southeast Asia where have been developing rapidly.

Close to 30 percent of population are still suffering from dehumanizing poverty and in the city of Manila alone, 50 percent of the 11 million inhabitants live in slum area. Many people who live in urban slum and on the street migrated to Manila from the island of midsection of a country and Mindanao and looking for better economic opportunities. They engage jobs include selling items such as newspaper, cigarettes, drink, food an daily necessaries on the street. And some people recover of useful substances from waste products. Due to uneducated and depression, many people are out of work. The life in urban slum and street lack sanitation, safe water and other service including educational opportunities and medical facilities.

Yusuke Harada, born in 1979, is a Japanese photographer based in Tokyo, Japan. He has photographed the world’s major conflicts and its hidden crisis. He has independently photographed and documented throughout Africa, Middle East and Asia. His works have received several awards and grants, and have been published in several magazines and newspapers in Japan and other countries. He is also contributor to NurPhoto Agency.

Awards 2014. Honorable mention, Shuukan Kinyobi Reportage Award
2013. Mainichi Shinbun Prize, 13th Ueno Hikoma Award
2012. Finalist : Documentary single, The New York Photo Awards
2012. Honorable mention, Best in show at Foto8 summershow
2012. Shortlist : Open category, KL PHOTOAWARDS
2012. Picture of the year, The PGB Photo Award.
2011. Nominee, 12th Ueno Hikoma Award.