From Surface Hazards to Structural Roots: The Lived Experience of Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City Waste Workers Examined through the Iceberg Model

Abstract

Waste work is essential to urban sanitation and public health, yet remains stigmatized and undervalued within labor systems. While previous studies have examined the sector through functionalist and biopsychosocial frameworks, this study applies an intersectionality lens to explore the lived experiences of waste workers in Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City. Using qualitative methods including ethnographic immersion (pakikipamuhay), interviews, site visits, and transect walks, the research documents occupational hazards, gendered labor divisions, and systemic neglect. Workers earn ₱9,500/month with uncertain employment status and limited access to health benefits, while facing exposure to contaminated waste, road accidents, and social discrimination.

Thematic analysis and case study methods reveal how overlapping identities such as class, gender, and employment type, shape vulnerability. Applying the PESTEL framework, the study identifies macro-level forces including political neglect, economic precarity, technological gaps, and weak legal protections. These findings are further interpreted through the Iceberg Model, which uncovers internalized oppression and societal mental models that normalize exploitation.

The study demonstrates that waste workers’ immediate concerns are embedded in broader structural dynamics, aligning with Mills’ concept of personal troubles as public issues. It recommends community-based interventions, stronger government accountability, and comparative research to inform policy reforms. By documenting these realities, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of intersectional labor marginalization and advocates for the recognition and protection of waste workers as vital contributors to public health and urban resilience.