MANILA, PHILIPPINES — A viral video of a woman emerging from a narrow drainage pipe in the heart of Manila has pulled back the curtain on a hidden social crisis.

Known as the “mole people,” a clandestine community of homeless individuals has taken up residence in the city’s vast and crumbling underground drainage systems to escape the heat and the dangers of the street.

The image of a woman crawling out onto a busy road amidst motorbikes is a jarring reminder of the extreme poverty that exists just beneath the surface of the bustling metropolis. Social workers warn that the health and safety risks for those living in the sewers are catastrophic, especially during the monsoon season.

The “mole people” phenomenon has sparked an urgent national conversation about urban planning, social safety nets, and the desperate lengths people will go to find a sense of shelter in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.