DENR-EMB spearheads recyclable collection event at Brgy. Lualhati MRF.

By Carlito C. Dar

Tuesday 5th of June 2012

BAGUIO CITY, June 5 (PIA) -- The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Cordillera (DENR – CAR), today, spearheaded the conduct of a Recyclable Collection Event (RCE) at the Material Recovery Facility of Barangay Lualhati, here.

Participants in the activity, which is in line with the observance of Philippine Environment Month, were community folks of barangay Lualhati and other nearby city barangays, government line agencies representatives, and Baguio City Police Office, Station 3 personnel.

EMB OIC Regional Technical Director Oscar Cabanayan, in an interview, disclosed that the said event is an information, education, and communication strategy, which aims to provide opportunities to city barangays to engage more on handling solid waste management and to promote recycling as one of the viable means to address the garbage problem in the city. It also aims to introduce RCE as a local entrepreneurship option.

According to Cabanayan, through the activity, they also hope to strengthen the partnership between and among the stakeholders on solid waste management and to inculcate to the participants the economic and environmental benefits that would be derived from the activity and for the event to also serve as a venue for them to document the volume of recyclable wastes collected in a given period and validate specific data on record.

For the said activity, Cabanayan said that they have invited buyers of recyclable waste and goods from as far as the province of Pangasinan.

“About half of the city folks waste are recyclable, imagine if we can segregate them and sell through an event like this (RCE), the people will not only have an extra income from it but can also help preserve the environment and help the city reduce the resources, by about half the amount needed for hauling garbage outside of Baguio City,” Cabanayan stressed.

EMB plans to conduct the RCE regularly or on a weekly basis, he added.

Barangay Lualhati Chairman Norma Bustarde expressed her gratitude for EMB for initiating such activity, which is a big help to their MRF that also serves as livelihood project of the barangay.

She also stressed that such event would encourage the city folks to segregate and recycle, which the city really needs given its current garbage problem. She also assured that their MRF is always willing to accept the recyclable materials from the other barangays that do not have their own RF.

The month of June is declared as Philippine Environment Month per Presidential Proclamation No. 237, series of 1988, to awaken more people to do their share in assuming responsibility towards the environment and hopes to stimulate awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and public action. (JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)