An unexpected tragedy befell a slum community in Payatas, Quezon City in the Philippine capital Metro Manila three years ago when a hill of garbage caved in. It killed 218 people and left 300 families homeless.

The tragedy brought to the fore a long-standing problem that the Philippine government and the people have failed to seriously address---solid waste management. In the capital Metro Manila, piles of garbage could be seen everywhere. Payatas then served as the metropolis’ dumpsite.

Fortunately, however, but of course not to the victims, the national government was virtually compelled to look into the garbage problem. The worst garbage-related tragedy that hit this Southeast Asian country paved the way for the passage of a law on solid waste management.

Lyndofer Beup was among the people struck by the images of lifeless bodies shown to television, particularly of children, being pulled out of garbage. He was then a radio broadcaster based in Capiz province in central Philippines.

Beup is also among the Filipinos who believe that the tragedy incidentally served as a “wake-up call” that led to the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act more than half a year later. The law, which was passed on January 21, 2001, tasks both national and local governments to address the solid waste problem.

Incidentally, when Beup assumed his post as administrator of the Municipality of Santa Barbara in 2001, one of the problems brought to his attention was the town’s growing garbage problem. “I then remembered that tragedy,” he said, “so I acted on it immediately.”

Sickening Stench

Carlito Cerezo would shed tears every time the pile of stinking garbage within 10 meters from their house is burned. Luzanta, 69, explained that her old and sickly husband found it hard to breathe, thus the tears. Not only that, their five grandchildren suffered from chronic coughing.

There are 10 of them in the household suffering from the effects of living behind a dumpsite, where vendors and residents have been throwing market refuse and domestic wastes for the last decade.

Luzanta’s neighbor, Paterno Perania, 63, added that while they had to endure the stench, they had to go after plastic bags and other garbage landing on their compound courtesy of the dogs and the wind.

Paterno worried that some of the 15 members of his family would contract a serious disease from the flies that swarm in the area. They had their share of coughing that they suspect to have been caused by the garbage dump. They have had to live with this situation since 1980.

They were also worried that the communal artesian well, where all of them get their water for drinking and domestic use, would be contaminated. It is within 10 meters of the garbage piles.

Village Councilor Ernesto Parader said people complain to him everyday. “Whenever they see me, they would complain about the foul odor of the rotten fish or the emission of the burning trash. They suffered from coughs, dizziness, and itchiness.”

The dilemma of the residents did not escape the attention of the Municipal Government of Santa Barbara after Beup told Mayor Isabelo Maquino of the pressing problem. Maquino, the town head, included the solid waste management problem in the list of priorities.

With the projection of 3395.9 tons of waste generated within the town center in 2012 from 2001’s 2188.02 tons, the Maquino administration decided to address the solid waste management problem of the entire town of more then 20,000 people.

Solid Waste Management

Maquino tasked Beup to study how to address the problem. “I saw it as an opportunity to do something about the garbage problem. The Payatas tragedy was so entrenched in my mind that I told myself then that if given a chance, I would do something about the garbage disposal to avoid a similar tragedy,” he said.

He went over books and laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.  He found out that the Act mandates municipalities to create a solid waste management council to look into ways to manage the municipality’s garbage.

It led to the creation of the council composed of representatives from the municipal government, non-governmental organizations and residents. 

The council then came up with the “Santa Barbara Ecological Solid Waste Management Program 2002-2012,” which outlines the programs and projects to address the solid waste problem and set the goal of making the town garbage-free by 2015.

The council conducted an information, evaluation and dissemination campaign to instill awareness among the people through symposia and seminars telling people to reduce their bulk of waste through segregation and composting. They involved people’s organizations, non-governmental organizations and barangay officials.

Properly sorted garbage is collected and brought to a material recovery facility in the Municipal Ecological Park. The workers there further segregate the garbage. The biodegradable garbage is then shredded and transferred to the pits where they are turned into compost fertilizers. The non-biodegradable garbage is collected for sale.

In the public market, the vendors collect, segregate and bring their garbage to the material recovery facility (MRF) located behind the market. A worker further segregates and shreds the biodegradable garbage for composting. A composting facility is located a few meters away from the MRF.

Garbage Dump No More

The dump has been rid of the garbage piles. Bananas, eggplants and other vegetables now thrive on the lot that previously bred only flies. Two fishponds are being readied for the rainy season where catfish could be raised.

The Municipal Agriculture Office supports the indigent families within the community in their effort to fully develop the dumpsite into a community garden. The agriculture office gives them the technical assistance. They are encouraged to plant and sell their produce at the public market.

A small composting facility has been put up within the former dumpsite. It is where biodegradable wastes from the town’s slaughterhouse and public market are brought for composting. The compost is used for the communal vegetable garden.

Not only that, the town has developed a 2.4-hectare lot in Barangay Daga into an “Ecological Park.” Biodegradable wastes collected from the households in the town center are brought there. The wastes are shredded, dumped into pits and turned into compost.

About half of the ecological park buried with composted wastes has been planted with trees such as a mango, mahogany, gmelina and jackfruit. About five years from now, said municipal agriculturist Mathilde Salazar, mangoes and jackfruit trees will bear fruits. The proceeds from the sale of the fruits will go to the town’s coffers.

The program has also helped increase the income of households that sell recyclable and re-useable wastes to junk shops instead of throwing the items away. It has also freed the families from spending much on medicines.

The communal artesian well located within the dumpsite, along with other artesian wells nearby, which are the main sources of water in the area, were saved from possible contamination.

Market vendors have learned to segregate their wastes into “biodegradable” and “non-biodegradable.” Otherwise, the garbage collectors leave their garbage. Those who violate the policy pay a fine or do community service.

The residents living around the town center have learned the same. They segregate their trash, pack it in a container or plastic bag, and leave it beside the street for the collection team to gather.

Mayor Isabelo Maquino expressed happiness that they succeeded in institutionalizing an ecological solid waste management plan for the entire agricultural town, which has the vision of having “a healthy, ecologically-balanced environment and a garbage-free community by the year 2012.”

The town has also improved its rank in the Clean and Green contest and the provincial government’s Cleanest and Greenest Municipality. In the Clean and Green contest, it is now in the 8^th spot from 27^th last 2001. In the Clean and Green contest, it is now 2^nd in the district level, a leap from its former 6^th place.

Santa Barbara has become the first municipality in the province to come up with a municipal ecological solid waste management program and council in compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“We did not want to meet an incident close to that of Payatas. Had we not looked into the garbage problem, our people might still be suffering from the respiratory problems they were complaining from before. While we do not produce a big bulk of garbage like what Metro Manila produces, we could never tell what a pile of garbage may bring us,” Beup said.

Maquino added, “We are only living up to what our forebears are known for, fighting and doing what is good for the majority. If they fought against the Spanish colonizers and succeeded in liberating this town and our region in 1898, after some 300 years, we can continue to fight whatever it is that endangers us.”

Rexcel John B. Sorza is a journalist from the Philippines and a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication and Management.  He was recently the runner up in the Water Media Network Journalists’ Competition and received his award at the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan.  Your emails will be forwarded to him by contacting the editor at: ScienceTech@islam-online.net. 

 

Health & Science Please feel free to contact the Health & Science editor at: ScienceTech@islam-online.net Science News | Health and Alternative Medicine   Faith and Science/Medicine | Institutions and Scientists Environment | Computers and Communications | Genetics| Technology Natural Sciences | Muslim Heritage back