'Food On Table' Outweighs Health Risks For Philippine E-waste Dismantlers

Dexter Barsigan and his wife Rosalie Sedantes strip parts from discarded electronic equipment in Manila. Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops metal he can sell to junk shops. (Credit: AFP)

Dexter Barsigan has spent the past 13 years making a living with his bare hands and a pair of pliers, stripping scrapped laptops and air conditioners for metal he can sell to junk shops in the Philippines.

But since his hands began aching and his vision started to blur three years ago, there have been days he can only watch his wife and nephew do the job for him.