ZERO WASTE. Padre Garcia town in Batangas aims to become a leader in solid waste management using modern equipment, such as this truck, that gathers trash while cleaning roads. The local government on Monday (Feb. 12, 2024) said it has intensified its cleanliness campaign while producing useful materials, such as fertilizers, from waste. (Photo by Pot Chavez)
PADRE GARCIA, Batangas – The municipal government here has put recycling at the heart of its solid waste management program and is leveraging modern technology to make discarded items useful again.
In an interview on Monday, Rouel Kasilag, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer, said his office has launched a zero-waste initiative that targets to convert trash into serviceable products while also encouraging citizens to support the effort through segregation.
For this purpose, a Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) has been established in Padre Garcia, serving to house newly-acquired equipment for waste management as well as a model facility for the town’s cleanliness campaign.
Kasilag shared that the focus of RRF is on converting all sorts of solid waste into fertilizer by breaking them down using special enzymes.
“This breakthrough concept is a vision of Mayor Michael Rivera to maintain cleanliness and orderliness of the town through his zero-waste campaign,” he told the Philippine News Agency.
Kasilag said his office is focusing on organic fertilizer production from cow manure, which volume reaches 24 cubic meters every month, to the benefit of local farmers.
Padre Garcia is recognized as the “Cattle Trading Capital of the Philippines” as it houses the biggest livestock auction market in the Calabarzon region.
Kasilag said they are also incorporating the town’s waste segregation and composting practices with the vegetable garden project "Hapag kay PBBM" (the President's table) project of the national government.
Additionally, a building will be constructed within the next three months to house a Japan-technology carbonizer machine for waste management and recycling technology while a mechanized clean-up rover shall be launched in the second quarter of this year, he said.
He underscored that the firm commitment of the local government to enforce the laws has played a crucial role in maintaining orderliness in all parts of the town.
The MENRO has deputized eco-leaders in every barangay to closely monitor the implementation of their projects.
Kasilag said these innovative and pioneer projects are supplemented by different ordinances passed by the local government to ensure a clean and healthy environment.
Among the municipal ordinances that are strictly implemented by MENRO authorities in the town include anti-littering, anti-vandalism, and anti-dumping.
In a separate interview, former Padre Garcia Mayor Michael Rivera said the success of these efforts signifies that the locals are disciplined towards the local government and responsible towards their environment.
He said these campaigns which he started a few years ago are part of his long-term program to further elevate the quality of public services offered to the public.
“We want to take an active role in implementing our laws to maintain cleanliness and orderliness of the town so we can be a good model in the province… We believe in the words 'Batangas Rising' in the dream of progress, development, and prioritizing human welfare of every Batangueño,” he added. (PNA)
