MANILA, Philippines - Heeding the clamor of many viewers for an earlier timeslot, the internationally-acclaimed documentary program I-Witness now airs on Saturdays at 10:15 p.m. starting tonight.
Hosted by Howie Severino, Kara David, Jay Taruc and Sandra Aguinaldo, I-Witness continues to deliver first-rate documentaries that often serve as an eye-opener to the viewing public. For its premiere this weekend, I-Witness kicks off with Kara documenting the lives of people affected by the infestation of rats in a town in Isabela and a barangay in Manila.
In the farming community of Luna, Isabela, some farmers are in a “rat race.†With harvest season coming soon, rats are out in the rice fields gnawing at every palay in sight. Although some farmers may feel helpless with these pests, the Luyon brothers are not. They are in a race, out in the field, racing out to get the rats. These rats are their source of living. And in harder times, these rats are food on their plates.
Meanwhile, in Metro Manila, Tondo is notorious for living with its rats. In Vitas Tenement, rats freely walk among the residents in the corridors and alleys outside. These rats scamper on broad daylight, they gnaw at food, trash and even helpless children.