Lilia Apostol

Lilia Apostol, 58, believes in the popular adage that “there is wealth in garbage”. She has been a widow for years and lives with her three children in Sun Valley, Parañaque City. Lilia has been a garbage collector for five years now and is proud of it.

Lilia’s work and source of livelihood is maybe menial to some but for her it is her source of wealth. She collects garbage by making daily rounds from village to village mounted on her pedicab, fetching each household’s rubbish. Before dumping everything in the city’s waste disposal facility, she salvages anything recyclable and of value and turns it into cash by bringing it to a junk shop. After she’s done with her daily routine, she tends her sari-sari (general) store where she sells toys and other fun items for children. She earns more than P15,000 a month from these activities.

Lilia joined the Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Credit Cooperative in 2004. Her previous loans with the cooperative have been a big help in her business. She was able to purchase an additional pedicab which she uses in garbage collection. She now employs the services of one of her sons.

Lilia applied for a new loan with CCT in the amount of P36,000 to purchase a bigger pedicab for the expansion of her garbage collection operations. She also plans to use some of the loan proceeds for the renovation of their house.

It has been Lilia’s long sought after dream to have her own house and lot including her own junk shop.


About CCT
The Center for Community Transformation (CCT) is an organized Christian response against poverty and social injustice. This is carried out through the fusion of social development initiatives and evangelical mission in a uniquely Filipino context. It serves urban and rural poor communities throughout the Philippines, in pursuit of its desire to see changed lives, strong families, and transformed communities centered in the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

CCT is a member of the Five Talents family.

Subscribe