The Philippines Heartbreaking Street Food!! Garbage Can Chicken / Pag Pag!!

A big thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this video. Have you ever felt like the weight of the world was crushing you down? Like every step forward was a struggle and every thought was a battle? Many people face the same challenges you're facing right now, including me. But here's the thing. You don't have to fight back alone. There's a place where you can find solace and share your burdens without the fear of judgment. That place is therapy. Today, we're diving deep into the world of mental wellness with our sponsor, BetterHelp. They're not just another online therapy platform, they're like a beacon of hope in a storm. BetterHelp brings together a team of licensed therapists committed to accompanying you on a journey of personal growth. Their mission is clear, to make therapy universally accessible and affordable, eliminating the constraints of waiting rooms and geographical limitations. And starting with BetterHelp's really easy. Just answer a few questions and BetterHelp matches you to a therapist tailored to your needs often within 48 hours. Then connect however you like, through phone calls, video chats, or even messaging. So if you're feeling lost, overwhelmed, or you just need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to reach out. Go to betterhelp.com slash besteverfood or select Best Ever Food Review Show when you sign up to get a special discount on your first month of therapy. And the best part is, if you feel the need to switch therapists, there are zero hidden fees or insurance headaches. It's finally time to break free from negative cycles. Just go to betterhelp.com slash besteverfood and start your journey today. Now, on to the show. In this video, we're taking on Asia's most heartbreaking street food, deep in the alleyways of Manila. It is possible that from the trash, you get some big pieces that have a lot of protein. But then there's also some pieces like this that were certainly have eaten. But first, let's back up. The Philippines was the first country I ever went to in search of bizarre food. I really hope this chicken didn't have Crohn's disease. From the beginning, trolling commenters egged me on, goading me into trying their country's most taboo food. It's called Pagpap. Fast food that's been discarded, collected from the garbage, then recooked and resold on the streets. You don't know how long it's been there. So it could have been mixed with dangerous chemicals. It could have been exposed, contaminated with different bacteria. Now eight years after stepping foot in the Philippines, I'm finally up for the challenge. What are you doing to transform this food? How do you wash it? Just with water? Today, I'm on a mission to understand how Pagpap production works and why, in spite of all the dangers, this dark trend still continues. You ever see food that you don't keep? Is there ever food in such bad condition that you just keep it in the trash? It all starts with the Philippines' most beloved fast food chain. Right behind me, Jollibee, a Filipino fast food restaurant, a chain, a franchise that has spread all around the world. It is the pride of this country. For many Filipinos, coming here is like a special occasion. They've got spaghetti, they've got burgers, but they are most famous for their fried chicken. It's a world you're likely familiar with. The local fast food spot. Head in to grab a quick bite, place an order, sink your teeth into your favorite cookie pleasure, and discard the rest. But little did you know, in a parallel reality, the first link of a new food chain has just begun. Some people in the Philippines have taken drastic measures in order to sell and consume Pog Pog, the recycled, thrown away, discarded food that comes from this restaurant. If you're in Manila, there's a good chance that in this garbage can, the leftover bits of uneaten fried chicken will soon reappear as someone else's meal. But how does this underground food chain work? Welcome to the Febbersmobile. This is going to be my main mode of transportation while we are here in the Philippines. Right now, we are headed from Jollibee to a place called Happyland. In the chaotic sprawl of Manila, a city home to 15 million souls, we'll discover the full spectrum of existence. Look up, and that's hope. Skyscrapers, pulsing with energy and ambition, offering a whirlwind of possibilities both exhilarating and daunting. Yet within the shadows cast by these towering structures, a stark reality reveals itself. A disconcerting part of this city's identity. Welcome to Happyland, the largest slum in Manila. This is where the Pog Pog creation finds its audience, suited to those with no buying power and many times cheaper than the real thing. Ma'am, nice to meet you. Do you live here in Happyland? And why do you think they call it that? It seems like a bit of dark humor. I've seen images of this place before online, coming here in person. The reality is, when you walk through these streets, the vibe isn't really what you would expect. It's not as though there isn't adversity. There's a lot. The thing is how people deal with it. People seem happy, they're playing games, they're cheerful. Exactly. Meeting me here, Chuy, a young Filipino documenting every food he can find on this vast archipelago. He's also my eating Sherpa when dining options seem daunting during this Luzon food tour. To be clear, we are in a dump right now. It's garbage, it smells completely rancid in here. She is one of the many people here who sift through the garbage. Now, she takes a clean bag, she goes through the garbage bag and does what? This is Pagpag, and these are Kalakal. I don't get these here, but this is Kalakal. Every morning, bags filled with the decomposing remains of last night's fast food feast are collected and brought here to be sorted. Do you ever see food that you don't keep? Is there ever food in such bad condition that you just keep it in the trash? No. The condition of the Pagpag can range from mostly intact food to partially consumed or damaged, but it's all exposed to the relentless heat of Manila's sun throughout the day. As for the quality assurance, well, that's up to the person sorting it. She said that by her eyes, she knows if the food is already spoiled or not because sometimes it's like more on the wet side, so they throw it away and they will just keep the fresh food or the Pagpag that's also edible. Is this the only way that you make money? Abandon all conceptions of comfort, convenience, and what's considered essential. Here beneath the poverty line, the rules are rewritten. Flimsy walls and a makeshift roof create a shelter that can fit a dozen people. Privacy is a luxury. Whether it's food, fashion, or pictures, everything new was born of something old, recycled or discarded. From here, the salvaged food is typically sold to nearby Pagpag vendors for further processing, but not in Evelyn's case. Known locally as the Queen of Pagpag, Evelyn takes on the entire process herself, adding her unique touch, turning this survival food into a local favorite. I'm told you are the person to go to if I want to try Pagpag, is that right? We already met one woman who makes a living collecting the Pagpag from the actual garbage dump. Here, it looks like you're having bags delivered right to your stall. How does that work? Who is bringing this to you? Binibiribi. So there's a distributor, so she distributes the different fast food like that. And so why not just have somebody sort it for you? Why do you sort it yourself? Si para okay lahat. For quality checking. Mm-hmm. QA. You know, this is such a unique type of food, I'm curious, how did your journey begin with Pagpag? How did you get started with all this? Sa pade. Okay. So she said that she learned it from her father when they were kids, they ate it like that. Before selling Pagpag, she's selling like common food, Filipino food. She has a small eatery. So like a corandaria? Exactly. So why did you go from corandaria to Pagpag? Mas mabilis, maubos. It's more sellable to her community. Mura lang. Because it's very cheap. Masarap dawi. Basically, she said, because it's delicious. It's yummy. Yummy? Yummy. All right, soon, I'll be trying your fried Pagpag. But my big question is, what are you doing to transform this food? Something that was destined for the landfill. Una-una, ginalini. The first process, she wash it two times with water, and then just rinse it like that. She wash it thoroughly. After that, she will boil it. That's like the third process of cleaning or washing. So maybe all of the bacteria will be gone like that. Despite the assumption that rinsing with water removes harmful bacteria, a lingering risk still remains. When I think Pagpag, I just think re-fried chicken. But how many different types of Pagpag are there? So besides fried chicken, she has other two dishes. It's called Adobo Pagpag and Mechadong Pagpag. Which is the most popular? Fried. Okay. I feel comfortable trying that. Any of this food could contain dangerous bacteria or toxins, posing potential threats like In spite of that, folks here still opt for the Pagpag without hesitation. And soon, I'll be doing the same. But first, I'm heading to the bustling streets of Tondo, where another variety of recycled food is feeding locals. Unlike Pagpag, it's not spent any time in a trash can. But a lingering risk still remains. I understand that it's being sold to them by hotels, but I wonder if there's any food safety standard in place. I doubt if there are any standards. Meeting me here, Tatum, a well-known figure in the Philippines with a long resume. He's a chef, writer, and culinary heritage advocate. And just like me, he's never tried Pagpag. Yeah, I haven't tried that. I'm quite scared, but I'm willing to try it. So why scared? You know, it's something that isn't usual, especially that you know that it's food from the garbage, technically. It's generally meant for landfill or fertilizer, but it's so mind-boggling to think that people are eating the food knowing that it came from garbage. Right. It's not a secret. Yeah. There's no deception. We are working up to the Pagpag, but before we try that, we're trying something else. There is a food stall serving what I've been told is recycled meat. Yeah. What does that mean? This is Monok, spicy double-cooked meat, a creation from Lloyda's family. With a recipe enduring for almost three decades. It's actually like restaurants' byproducts. For example, we have like big hotels boiling kilos of meat just to get the stock or whatever. So they're basically clean. It's just that it has less flavor, it doesn't taste anything anymore, and instead of just throwing it into the garbage, they kind of resell it to, you know, people and making a business out of it. It's something that's also very entrepreneurial in a sense. Ma'am, good day. Good day. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm happy to be here. Translate. She understands. Oh, you understand? Yeah. Oh, you're good. This stall started a long time ago. From the beginning, this meat was coming from where? Hotel. The seller also inherited the business and now continues to supply it for the next generation. Do you think it's legal for them to sell it in this way? Are there any health regulations or standards around hotels selling meat to individuals? So she'll get a certificate from the management to allow them to sell the leftovers. And she's also been to the hotel so she knows it's clean. And she knows that the quality is good because she would never sell something that would be bad for her customers. Of course. The question is, the meat has no flavor. How do you bring it back to life? So she just adds all the ingredients to make it delicious and she cooks it with love. Okay. And by love, she meant soy sauce. Lots of it. Adding salt and color to the shredded meat. Then she marinates it with vinegar, onions, and chilies. It simmers until the meat absorbs all that flavor. What animal did this come from? It's a mix of beef and pork. Now it's time to cook it up. Garlic hits the hot oil. Then comes onion, chilies, and the meat. Mix it up, then force feed this protein with even more flavor. Soup-based seasoning. Salt, sugar, black pepper, and oyster sauce. Stir it until the meat gets crispy, caramelizing in the seasoning. Then plate, serve, and eat. Ready? Smells good. Cheers. Mm. Spicy. It's spicy. It's really hot. Indeed, it's very crunchy and kind of caramelized, toasted. It tastes like soy sauce. It tastes very, very salty. What is it that local folks like about this recipe? People like it for the spiciness, that's why they come back for it. Are the customers who come here aware of where the meat comes from? In general, are people here trusting of the street food vendors when it comes to knowing where the meat came from, knowing that it's fresh and that it's safe to eat? No. So, a lot of people assume it's clean because she sees her working here, and they've been eating it for so long, so there's no problem about that. And also, she feeds it to her family, so she knows that it's really good. I think the fact that it comes from a hotel, but she cooks the heck out of it, and then hits it with a lot of salt, makes me think it's much more safe to eat. It makes it more palatable, too. This would be very nice with a beer. San Miguel, Red Horse. Yeah. Now that we've dipped our toes into the world of recycled food, it's time for the real deal, and there's no turning back from here. We've come back to Happyland just in time to witness the Pogpog cooking process. So how does Evelyn transform trash into something palatable? She's using unique ingredients, and the secret ingredient is the spread. It starts with a selection of protein that varies each day. It could include sausages, patties, or untouched pieces of chicken. But most of the time, it's partially eaten pieces of fried chicken like this. Now, half of this salvaged meat will be transformed into adobo, the beloved stew of the Philippines. A sizzling pan first receives a portion of garlic, awaiting the Pogpog meat. Sugar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, MSG, and Sprite join the mix, with all those powerful flavors simmering together. Nope. Then finally, an unexpected twist. Smashed crackers and milk powder, giving new life to old ingredients. If the stew doesn't suit you, there's always the refried chicken. First marinate in garlic, soy sauce, Sprite, then sugar, MSG, and pineapple juice. Now, they hit the oil until they recook all the way through. Now I understand why people say this food is so dangerous. From the rancid garbage dump here to this kitchen, this food has undergone quite the transformation. I gotta say, in general, it smells pretty good in here. I like it. Now, here's the thing. Obviously, I can see it's perfectly natural why this food is off-putting to so many people, but also why it's captured the imagination or the attention of so many people online from other countries. I think the most worrisome part is the fact that somebody may get sick from eating food that's old, that's just been sitting in a warm garbage bag for an unknown period of time. Now, the only thing giving me a little bit of security, considering the fact that I'm about to try this out, is that she boiled it good, but here she is frying the heck out of it. So hopefully, any residual remaining organisms that could be alive in there will be fried to death. That's what we hope. Do we know for sure? No. What I've heard is that you've had a lot of streamers, YouTubers, people like me, frankly, who have come here and documented PogPog and HappyLand. Why do you think this food is so taboo? Why does this food get so much attention from people? Because it's their favorite. Probably in the mainstream, it seems strange, but here, it's their favorite. I don't know. There's a stigma online, right? There's a certain type of social media person whose goal is to go to downtrodden places, to go to slums, and kind of filming people at their worst moments. But without looking deeper into the story behind the people, I think that's something called poverty porn. And that's something people look down on. And I think it's also about how you're treating the storytelling, because for me, the reason I wanted to come is to really understand how this kind of preparation came to be. Because it's like an evolution of food, you know? If you go into countryside, people forage for food, but in an urban setting, if you forage, you won't find mushrooms and all that. You'd probably find these. And how do people react knowing that they have to eat? So it's a very nice and very insightful discourse to understand how people in the urban setting fend for themselves, try to find ways to feed their families with what's available. Beautiful. That being said, the time has come. We should try some of that. Let me give you a little background on the food. Right here, we have our main entree. So there's fried chicken, but it's not just the chicken. I see there's a patty here from a burger that's been fried. Then there's some hot dogs. I know a bizarre question, and maybe borderline inappropriate, is there a brand that people prefer here? Dinabit. Oh my gosh. The pride this nation has in Jollibee, even here in this moment. Can you choose me a piece? People usually eat this with rice. I'm just going to eat it plain. It looks like a thigh. Can I tell you something funny? My friend Andrew came here to shoot, and somebody's accused him of not eating the real pong pong because he got a piece like this. Now, it is possible that from the trash, you get some big pieces that have a lot of protein, and that's what you see here. But then there's also some pieces like this that we certainly have eaten. All right, I'm going to just break off a piece of the meat. I'm smelling it. Look, I'm sorry if I look suspicious. It's new. All right? I'm going to try it out. Jollibee? It's Jollibee. Yeah. We're trying to figure it out. Cheers. Okay. McDonald's. You think McDonald's? Yeah. I'm sure. Mine is Jollibee. Now, let me tell you, she refried the heck out of this. She fried it for about 10 minutes, probably longer than the original frying. At this point, it's cooled down a little bit, so I can't really tell the difference between leftover cold Jollibee and this. It kind of just tastes like food that's been in your fridge for a couple of days. Or it's cooked by someone who doesn't really know how to cook, you know? It is intensely over-fried. Are you going to have some more? Tell me something, though. Do you feel apprehensive? Do you feel reluctant? I'm kind of apprehensive, but it's all in the mind, but if you taste it, there's nothing wrong with it. Look, the purpose of this video is not to try to advocate in saying, like, hey, this is a safe and healthy way of eating this, but I guess the philosophy of this show since it began was, hey, if they eat it, I'll eat too, including this. So, ma'am, well done. She's taking it. I think you've got to get these extra crispy. At face value, this story is about the Philippines' most taboo food. But as we delve deeper, we uncover a story of resilience and resourcefulness. Evelyn and those who populate Happyland endure acute adversity day after day, but they choose to walk light, wear a smile, and act on what's within their control. In Happyland, what are the biggest challenges that people are facing here in this neighborhood? It's difficult to make a living, so a lot of people are scavengers. There are a lot of junk shops here. What's your hope for the future for yourself personally and your family? She's the breadwinner in the family. She just wants all her kids to finish school. Is Pop Pop going to get your kids through school? Yeah? Wow. There is no clear path from this place to anywhere else that resembles what the world would call success. But through years of selling this disgraced dish, Evelyn has managed to put her children through school, perhaps the first step in a long and difficult journey away from Happyland and toward happiness. If you love Indian food, then you're going to love our new channel, Best Ever Food India. Subscribe now for weekly videos showcasing the most unique street food from around the country. Boom, guys, that is the end of the video. I want to say a huge thank you to this fan right here. His name is Chewy, and his show is called The Chewy Show. Thank you. You can find him on YouTube, Instagram, um... TikTok. Only fans. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, yeah? Hey, that's a secret. All right. He's building up to it, though. Getting more confident every day. Otherwise, guys, that is it for this one. Thank you so much for watching. I will see you next time. Peace! All right. Well done. Only one fatality. Not bad.