Plastic bottles, scrap paper and other debris is gathered here in the country by so called "magbobote" and "magbabasura" , which literally translates to "bottle man" and "garbage man", whose job it is to be middlemen and sell these now segregated waste to companies.

Now, here's the catch.

The Philippines, owing to its Catholic roots, celebrates Christmas starting September. The holiday season is marked by the appearance of frenzied holiday sales, carolling as early as September, and houses festooned with Yuletide decor. Many provinces and towns all over the country , however, host a prominent "parol" or lantern portraying either the Annunciation or the birth of Jesus. Regardless of ethnic, cultural or religious affiliation, the season is generally marked by all Filipinos with glee, tolerance and hospitality. These parols however , are unique since most of them are made of recycled material. It is not uncommon to see many of these lanterns made of recycled coconut fiber, hemp, painted bottles, and foil. Used papers are mashed to form papier mache and made into dioramas portraying mangers and nativity scenes.

Of course, recycling does not end here but it sends a powerful message that even if Christmas could be highly commercialized (with all those sales) , there still lies a deep concern for the environment coupled with ingenuity in appreciating these recycled material

Photo credit: getty