Households Along the Tumaga River Receive Composting Kits
Household members along the Tumaga River at Presa Mayor, Zone 6, Barangay Tumaga received composting materials composed of plastic pots and garden shovel to encourage them to begin backyard composting of biodegradable wastes. This took place during the IEC campaign on solid waste management and environmental sanitation conducted by the Multi-sectoral Group (MSG) of the Tumaga River Water Quality Management Area Governing Board on October 18, 2018. The activity also aimed to assist the local government unit (LGU) of Zamboanga City to comply with its implementation of the 10-year Action Plan particularly on reducing the bulk of solid wastes entering the Tumaga River.
The activity started with a lecture on the importance of onsite sanitation in water quality management given by Engr. Lilibeth Diasnes of the Society of Environmental Engineers of the Philippines (SEEP), Inc. Engr. Diasnes started her discussion on the importance of sanitation that includes solid waste management to prevent health problems such as diarrhea, skin diseases, respiratory problem due to foul odor, hepatitis, and dengue. She also mentioned the benefits of proper waste disposal to avoid the occurrence of the aforementioned environmental-related health problems. She then encouraged the residents to always keep their environment clean and urged the “purok” leaders to lead in the cleanup of vacant lots. The residents were also informed on the importance of having a sanitation facility and advised them to have their names registered in the barangay health center in case they do not have a sanitation facility as the City Health Office may be able to provide them assistance. Finally, Engr. Diasnes underlined the significance of personal hygiene, such as hand washing, to lessen the impact of environmentally-related problems. She also advised the parents to teach their children to defecate in the proper area.
Ms. Emma S. Alipala of the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) informed the participants of the important provisions of the Zamboanga City Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2016 (Ordinance No. 176). Ms. Alipala informed the participants on the essential provisions of the Ordinance that include the prohibition on open dumping and littering of solid wastes in public places. She also underscored the provision in the Ordinance on mandatory segregation at source. She explained that segregation allows for easy collection of the wastes and permits only residual wastes to be disposed in the final disposal facility. The different classifications of wastes and how they are properly managed were also explained to the participants. Ms. Alipala stressed the “no segregation, no collection” policy under the Ordinance. She also highlighted the importance of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for the storage and processing of solid wastes. The sale of recyclable materials stored in the MRF, she said, can be bring additional income to the community. She then informed the residents on the responsible entities in the collection of the solid wastes and the method of disposal of these wastes. A sanitary landfill, she said, located in Barangay Salaan is the disposal facility that is being used in Zamboanga City. The role and the composition of the Barangay Solid Waste Management Committee were also discussed by the speaker. Finally, she discoursed on the deputation of barangay officials, “tanods”, and law enforcers for the issuance of citation tickets to violators, the imposition of garbage fees, and fines and penalties.
Following the lecture on the Ordinance, demonstration on onsite waste segregation and backyard composting were conducted by Environmental Monitoring Officers (EnMOs) Mr. Janzen Mari Pang and Mr. Alao Tanding, respectively. Mr. Pang facilitated a hands-on segregation practice among selected participants. Mr. Alao, on the other hand, showed the participants how to carry out backyard composting of biodegradable wastes using the “lasagna method.” The composting kits were distributed to the participants after the demonstration so they can immediately start composting at home. Barangay Chairpersons of Barangay Guiwan, Hon. Samuel Natividad, and of Barangay Tugbungan, Hon. Abraham Rojas, led the turning over of the said composting kits.
Hon. Natividad and Hon. Rojas, in their message to the residents of Presa Mayor, Tumaga, encouraged the practice of onsite segregation and backyard composting. Kagawad Jaime Francisco of Barangay Tumaga gave the closing remarks wherein he urged the residents to follow rules and regulations and to do their share in the management of solid wastes in the Barangay.
The participants were also provided with IEC materials on solid waste management courtesy of the Solid Waste Management Section of EMB IX.
