Pagpag is a term people in the Philippines use for “leftover food from restaurants”. This usually applies to fast-food restaurants. Poor people get these leftovers from garbage sites and dumps.
But the term can also apply to expired frozen meat, fish, and vegetables and fruits discarded by supermarkets.
The act of eating leftovers arose from the practical challenges in the Philippines. Faced with hunger and extreme poverty, Filipino people have the choice to eat leftovers, or starve. Most choose the former.
The popularity of pagpag has also evolved into a business. Selling pagpag is now a profitable business in areas where poor people live.
The short documentary tells exactly that story. The story of people involved with production and consumption of pagpag. How these scavengers live, and how pagpag has evolved into a staple food for the poor population in the Philippines. The health concerns are always there, but for some people, pagpag is all that they can afford.
