Set in the Philippines, Dogeaters has several narrators; one being Rio Gonzaga, the representative of her family. Another narrator is an all-seeing third person, who introduces other Filipino families. Spanning through many steps of the social pyramid, the inequality between the rich and poor is blatantly obvious.
The stories of the characters seem randomly chosen at first but are intertwined at major events, like the Manila Film Festival. A large event is the "Young Miss Philippines" Competition, which includes the story of yet another person. Winning the pageant, Miss Daisy Avila becomes overwhelmed and hides with her family, which is missing her assassinated mother.
During the construction of buildings for the Manila Film Festival, there are several deaths after a structural collapse. However, the wife of the dictator of the Philippines orders construction to continue, without proper remembrance for the dead. Joey Sands, a DJ at a nightclub, meets with one of the construction operators and steals money and drugs. Running away before he can be caught, he happens to meet young Miss Avila in the mountains. Discussing what has happened together, Joey reveals that he witnessed the assassination of Daisy's mother. For the remainder of the story, readers jump back to Rio's narration, which tells more about her and her family.
