Of child slaves and scavengers

Episode airs on March 31, 2007 This Saturday on Sine Totoo, catch two classic documentaries from one of GMA News and Public Affairs’ most admired reporters… Jay Taruc. Taruc was only 27 years old when he won the George Foster Peabody Award for GMA Network, along with Jessica Soho. His Peabody-winning story “Mga Batang Alipin" (Enslaved Children) was an exposé on a fish sauce factory which kept 16 teenage boys under lock and key. The boys were forcibly detained, working long hours and sleeping in a small, windowless room which also served as their diner and toilet! Taruc bravely entered the once impenetrable walls of the factory and helped rescue the teenagers. He later found out they had also been physically abused by the owner and his foremen. Also airing on Sine Totoo is another unforgettable documentary by Jay Taruc entitled “Basurero" (Scavenger), which won recognition at the Shanghai TV Festival. In it, Taruc tells the story of a family living atop an overpass in Cubao. During the day, they beg from passers-by. At night, they collect leftovers from the garbage cans of fastfood restaurants. In a fascinating interview with Sine Totoo host Howie Severino, Jay Taruc shares what it was like to eat garbage along with that family. He also explains why he pursues difficult immersions instead of choosing to cover stories from a distance. Learn more about Jay Taruc’s intimate documentary style and catch his remarkable work this Saturday night at 11:15 pm on Sine Totoo.