SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO GENERATE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: THREE CASE STUDIES IN THE PHILIPPINES
By
Agueda C. Mosqueda
A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
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Master of Arts 2008 Agueda C. Mosqueda Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education University of Toronto
Abstract
This thesis presents three success stories in solid waste management in the Philippines which focused on approaches toward community participation. Two cases highlighted the local government efforts in the conversion of the open garbage dumpsites into a waste processing zone i.e. the Controlled Waste Disposal Facility in Payatas, Quezon City, Metro Manila, and the Eco-
Waste Processing Center in Los Banos, Laguna. The other case was an information, education and communication-based project of the author in Barangay Masili, City of Calamba, also in
Laguna, with emphasis on community consciousness in solid waste segregation for a cleaner environment.
Solid waste is one of the country's major issues confronting the community and the local government units. The legislation of RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act in
2001, addressed this phenomenon by calling for the involvement of all sectors, primarily the local authorities together with the community. This research examines the commonality and uniqueness of the strategies employed to encourage people's mobilization in managing solid waste. It was found that participation starts from a deepening awareness of people about the problems affecting them, getting involved, and becoming responsive when they understand its potential benefits. Participation is deeply anchored in political mobilization where leaders take the initiative and the will to make a difference in the community. Strong advocacy in the furtherance of community awareness and consciousness in relevant programs together with the stakeholders' partnership and networking play a very important role.
ii Acknowledgment
My gratefUl thanks to God's inspiring words which says: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insights; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your path (Proverbs 3:5-6)." It serves as my guide in everything I do. This achievement is wholeheartedly dedicated to God's gifts to me ~ my husband, Archie, for his love, thoughtfulness and understanding; and our only child, Abigail Anne, whose sweetness and giggles revive my strength whenever I feel tired. My dear parents, brothers, and sisters in the
Philippines for their unending love, concern and support which keep me determined and inspired to move forward.
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and profound appreciation to the following persons who shared their valuable support and encouragement to make this research work a reality.
The members of my Thesis Committee, Drs. Margrit Eichler and Njoki Wane for their intellectual advice and feedback, time and effort shared to me, to make my research work more substantive and meaningful. Also to Dr. David Livingstone for his candid insights and challenging comments in my research proposal.
OISE-UofT staff, especially Kristine Pearson for her kindness in facilitating the required documents prior to the conduct of my research work; Ruth Rogers for the reminders and assistance in accomplishing the necessary forms to submit my thesis on time; the University
Graduate Study Scholarship Committee for the financial grant which I consider a great opportunity for me to pursue higher education and accomplish my research work; and my friends at UofT "Ate's" Celia Correa and Lynn Romero, Maya Soriano, Liwliwa Torres, Cathy Jeffrey,
Akena Francis Adyanga, and those I was not able to mention, for the encouraging words that motivated me to persist with my graduate study programme.
iii The officials and staff of the Municipality of Quezon City particularly the Environmental
Protection and Waste Management Department headed by Ms. F. Rentoy, Municipality of Los
Banos, and the Barangay Council of Masili for allowing me to have access to the available information, reports and publications in their respective offices.
My brethren in the church, Pastor Belle Obsanga, "Ate" Yolly Herrera, Bro. Dindo and
Sis. Ruth Malihan for their concern and constant prayers.
For the sisterly treatment of "Ate" Minda Loberiano and Tina Mendoza who used to offer assistance for my family as we go through the challenges of living in Canada, they really make us feel that we are part of their 'real' family; and my friend, Cathy Sandy, for her kindness and constant words of encouragement, that with God's grace through prayers, my wish can come true for "God is good, all the time".
Finally, my former colleagues at PCARRD-Philippines, who constantly send me messages of trust that I can do this research work with ease and confidence.
To all of you, thank you very much!!!
IV TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1
A Glance of the Research Setting: Philippines 2 Overview of the Solid Waste Situation in the Philippines 5 Philippine Legislative Policies in Solid Waste Management (SWM) 6 Community and Community Participation 9 Strategies Toward Community Mobilization 11 Statement of the Problem 15 Methodology 17
CHAPTER II CASE STUDY 1: TRANSFORMATION OF PAYATAS DUMPSITE INTO A CONTROLLED WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY 19
Metro Manila and Its Solid Waste Scenario 19 The Tragedy in Payatas Garbage Dumpsite 22 Transformation of Payatas Garbage Dumpsite into a Controlled Disposal Facility 23 Approaches Employed for Community Involvement 31 Barriers in the Implementation of the SWM Program 35 Controlled Waste Disposal Facility's Progress in Payatas Community 37 Lessons Learned 39
CHAPTER III CASE STUDY 2: CONVERSION OF LOS BANOS DUMPSITE INTO AN ECO-WASTE PROCESSING ZONE 41
The Town of Los Banos, Laguna 42 Solid Waste Condition of Los Banos: Issues and Challenges 45 From Open Dumpsite to an Eco-Waste Processing Zone 47 Approaches Toward Social Participation and Mobilization in SWM 53 Networking and Partnership among the Stakeholders 57 Barriers Encountered in the Implementation of the SWM Program 58 Environmental and Socio-Economic Benefits 60 Lessons Learned 62
v CHAPTER IV CASE STUDY 3: COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN SOLID WASTE SEGREGATION FOR A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT IN MASILI 65
Gardening Utilizing Recyclables: My Own Home Project 66 Conceptualization and Proposition of the Project in Barangay Masili 67 The Profile of Barangay Masili, Calamba, Laguna 68 Methodology Framework for Project Initiation in the Community 70 Pilot Project Context: Community Consciousness in Solid Waste Segregation for a Cleaner Environment in Masili 72 Project Accomplishments 77 Lessons Learned 80
CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS 81
Summary 82 Conclusion 86 Recommendations 94 Suggested Directions for Further Study 100
REFERENCES 101
APPENDICES 107
VI LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1 Map of the Philippines 3
2 Map of the Research Sites 4 (NCR/Manila, Los Banos & Calamba)
3 Aerial Maps of Barangay Payatas 21
4 Vicinity Map of Los Banos Incorporating 44 the Science Community
5 Vicinity Map of Barangay Masili (A coastal community) 69
6 Integrative Components of the Project 75
vn LIST OF APPENDICES
Page
Appendix 1 Payatas open dumpsite before the tragic 108 garbage erosion (years 2000 and earlier)
2 Payatas today as Quezon City's central Controlled Waste Disposal Facility 109
3 Handicrafts training with recyclable waste by volunteers in Quezon City for interested individuals/groups in the community and sample products 111
4 Advocacy and social marketing initiatives of the Municipal Government of Quezon City toward community participation 112
5 List of the Los Banos Science Community member-agencies 113
6 Los Banos dumpsite prior to its conversion into an Eco-Waste Processing Zone (years 2002 and earlier) 114
7 The then Los Banos open dumpsite now an Eco-Waste Processing Center 116
8 Some initiatives and strategies of the Municipal Government of Los Banos toward community involvement in SWM 118
9 Vegetable seed/seedlings propagation using recyclable materials and compost from biodegradables at the author's home front yard 119
10 Selected photo documentation of the actual process of coordinating and conducting the pilot project in Barangay Masili in 2005 120
11 The ongoing snap hydroponics pilot project of the Barangay Council in Masili derived from the author's proj ect in 2005. 122
vin CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Solid waste refers to garbage or trash composed of materials (biodegradable and non-biodegradable) that are considered to have no value and are discarded by individuals, households, commercial establishments/private enterprises, and institutions such as schools, hospitals, government and non-government offices.
Solid waste management (SWM) is becoming a complex issue in most developing countries due to the growing urban population and industrialization. According to the World Bank (2001), this issue is greatly affected by the country's development.
This implies that solid waste distribution is indicative of the degree of urbanization.
It is also a sign of how citizens' lifestyle changes.
The Municipal Government in the Philippines as the main channel in managing the disposal of solid waste, finds it difficult to address this task due to limited dump and landfill sites. Because of this, some municipalities experience garbage accumulation along streets and public places, besides open and heavily filled dumpsites within the community's vicinity. This scenario has resulted in mounting public concerns about the hazardous effects of waste on human health and well-being. The improvements in technology and recycling schemes are often not sufficient to counter the voluminous solid waste production, obsolescence of
1 existing facilities, and shortage of dumpsites. These are further affected by insufficient resources to support SWM programs and initiatives.
A Glance of the Research Setting: Philippines
The Philippines is a tropical agriculture-based country with 7,107 islands subdivided into three geographic groups ~ Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It has a total area of 300,000 square kilometers (km2) with land and water components of
298,170 km2 and 1,830 km2, respectively.
Its population in 2007 (National Statistics Office, 2008) has increased to 88.6 million people from 85.0 million in 2005. The annual growth rate is 2.3%. Of this populace, 58% are women and 42% men. A big number of people live in a small land area, which becomes even more crowded with the continuous increase in population every year.
Luzon is the largest island in the country where Metro Manila or the National
Capital Region (NCR) and the Province of Laguna are located. Figure 1 shows the map of the Philippines indicating NCR and Laguna. Quezon City, the largest populated area in Metro Manila, and Laguna (specifically the towns of Los Banos and Calamba) are the focal sites of this research on community participation on
SWM. Figure 2 presents the proximity of the research sites.
2 Figure 1. Map of the Philippines. LEGENDS: •• BATANGAS cAvrre LAGUNA NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION QUEZON mm* RIZAL
SIANO/
TAOAYT/
Figure 2. Map of the Research Sites (NCR/Manila, Los Bafios, & Calamba).
4 Overview of the Solid Waste Situation in the Philippines
The emergence of industrialization and rapid population growth brought congestion in communities, particularly in the urban areas with the massive in-migration of people from the provinces looking for better economic opportunities. This scenario consequently heightened the problem of improper waste disposal which contributes to the emergence of illnesses due to health hazards from waste, pollution, extreme floods particularly during rainy season.
The Philippines generates about 10,000 million metric tons of solid waste per year and only 12% of the waste is recycled and reused. The single most dominant issue is the inadequacy of disposal facilities. Presently, open dumping is still the most common waste disposal method used as controlled dumpsites and sanitary landfills are very limited. Solid waste is an environmental problem that has reached critical proportions in the country. Due to a growing population, rapidly increasing consumption, and urbanization, solid waste generated is estimated at 19,700 metric tons per day. Projection shows that waste generation will increase by 47% or 28,875 metric tons per day by 2010 (National Solid Waste Management Commission,
2002).
The SWM experience in the Philippines as the focus of this study can be barely described as earth-friendly. Conventionally, in rural communities, people resort to burning and backyard dumping. In urban and urbanizing areas, garbage is collected by trucks from the waste generators and disposed in designated dumpsites
5 and landfill areas. Metro Manila in particular, being the country's central megacity with a huge population of 10.3 million inhabitants living within 686 km (Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 2000) has an enormous collection of solid waste. Dump and landfill sites have almost reached their full capacity. Uncollected garbage on sidewalks and vacant lots has become a common sight around the capital. This problem is compounded by the emergence of chronic diseases and tragic situations of floods and soil erosion in times of natural disasters. Evidently, the simple collect- and-dispose method of SWM is not a sustainable and environment friendly approach
(Lapid, 1995).
Philippine Legislative Policies in Solid Waste Management
Solid waste is a serious problem which highly contributes to the increasing pollution levels and health hazards in the country. This condition has caught the attention of the Philippine Government which resolved to strengthen its legislative agenda and enforce policies as well as local ordinances to involve communities in environmental programs concerning SWM.
It took years for the Philippine Government to come up with a comprehensive and integrated SWM law. Most of the legislation that has been passed addresses just an aspect of the solid waste issue. The first legislation passed was the Anti-dumping Law in 1938. It prohibited the dumping of refuse waste matter or other substances into bodies of water (Philippines Environmental Monitor,
6 2001: p. 18). Following this, were the Garbage Disposal Law and Sanitation Code in 1975. These provided general orders for garbage disposal with specifications for landfill site, identification and screening processes of municipal solid waste disposal facilities. The Marine Pollution Control Decree of 1976 and the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 focused on more specific issues. The implementation of the Local Government Code of 1991 with its
Implementing Rules and Regulations addressed matters of waste collection and disposal, decentralizing the responsibility to the local government units.
Republic Act (RA) 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999, and RA 9003 or the
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 were landmark laws on SWM which were aimed to provide effective reforms that will protect the environment and its inhabitants. RA 8749 was the first in the world to impose a nationwide ban on incineration. It provides a comprehensive air pollution management program
(World Bank, 2001). According to environmentalist groups such as the Greenpeace, who rallied for its approval, RA 8749 is an environmental milestone (Manila
Bulletin, 1999). This Act promotes the use of "state-of-the-art, environmentally sound, and safe non-burn technologies" for the disposal of residual and medical wastes. It includes a statement mandating the city and municipal governments to encourage recycling and composting.
RA 9003 strengthened policy directives that counter the country's dilemma on solid waste. According to the Philippine Legislators Committee on Policy and
7 Development (2002), it is the most comprehensive piece of legislation that details the policies and provisions of managing waste from the municipalities down to the community level. It calls for the creation of the National Solid Waste Management
Commission as a central body governing all aspects of SWM comprising representatives from the government, the private sector, and non-government organizations (NGOs). This Committee is mandated to formulate a national SWM framework that emphasizes community-based approaches in waste reduction. It promotes the idea of waste as a resource and diverts at least a quarter of the waste generated through recycling, reuse, and composting with the participation of the community as well as the private sector. RA 9003 also gives specific provisions for existing and future solid waste disposal facilities. Open dumps are to be converted to controlled disposal site or sanitary landfills. This Act emphasized control of the
"generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal" of solid waste in a fashion that is in accordance to societal and economic needs, while at the same time bring in compliance with environmental standards and principles
(Philippine Legislators Committee on Policy and Development, 2002).
Relative to community participation, policy directives and ordinances are being put in place tapping the active leadership of the local government officials.
This primarily consists of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural
Resources for the national program and the local government units for community- oriented projects and activities. Other stakeholders like NGOs, civil society, the
8 academic, and international institutions are also concerned with consensus building to carry out broad educational processes and approaches through all possible channels to boost and uplift people's awareness, consciousness and participation at the level of community, individual households, and industries. National policies and directives are translated into municipal local ordinances. The inputs and roles of these stakeholders are vital components of the total SWM system. Waste management as a task is the collective responsibility of the majority of the sectors of society, primarily the community.
Community and Community Participation
A community can be described as an aggregation of groups, which vary in social class, economic status, often in political or religious affiliation, and also in outlook and opinion. It is basically a social system within bounded territory, having people with different needs and interests, and who also interact with each other.
With this description, it is quite difficult for the people in the community people to spontaneously unite for a common purpose. Nevertheless, they can get involved in community activities should they be aware that such would benefit them in the end.
This reflects an "affective community attachment" which means that people participate because they have feel a "sense of belongingness" in their place of residence (Liu et al., 1998: pp. 432-450).
9 According to Pfaff (1996), community is a source of group solidarity and has the potential in mobilizing for collective action. Such solidarity, as stressed by
Goodsell (2000: pp. 357-375), sustains a community's collective power achieved through the mutual promise of shared commitment to act in concert, and is continually created and recreated through the union of commitment and action. In connection with the above notions, Poplin (1979), identified crucial variables that describe a community, such as the number of actors, awareness, goals and recipients of action. Without community action, there is no development and the best way to build it is to encourage people's participation in community programs/projects and activities (Beggs et al., 1996: pp. 407-426).
The quest for unity and participation of the people in certain community programs would initially be dependent on the approaches used by the local leaders.
Participation of people in the institutions and systems which govern their lives, is a basic human right and an essential element of development. In a participative model, people are mobilized to plan, and make decisions in partnership with the government and other entities in finding solutions to social and economic issues facing the community (United Nations Development Programme, 1990). Anchored on this context, community participation in SWM requires that people get involved in the activity at their own initiative; that they are aware of and understand its benefit to them; thereby, make it part of their everyday practices. They need to clearly understand the reason for their involvement.
10 Strategies Toward Community Mobilization
Mobilization is a process in which community members become aware of a problem, identify it as a high priority for community action, and decide to take action (Thompson and Perschuk, 1992). According to Ferrer (1991) as cited by
Deomampo-Cerezo (2005), community mobilization is an important part of any community development program for people to become more productive, responsive, and form into self-reliant groups. It is a process which involves the active participation of the community in various stages of development work from planning to implementation, even monitoring and evaluation that lead to people 's empowerment.
As stipulated in the Philippine Local Government Code of 1991, the mandate of people empowerment means that the local government units should involve all sectors in the community in various development activities. This includes the
NGOs, people's organizations - the voluntary civic community groups, and other sectors in society; making them aware that they constitute the truly legitimate and relevant force in the community (Department of Interior and Local Government,
2000).
Deomampo-Cerezo (2005) further stated that community mobilization strategy and process must be relevant and practical in the local community context.
People are more likely to get involved when decisions and a tions are based on
11 complete information on issues, problems, and other relevant concerns of the community. There is a general agreement that community mobilization strategies, tools, and techniques address a wide range of challenges and issues in many types of communities. Since community differs from one another, there is no one set of
"conditions," "processes," or facts that define sure success. Some of the mobilization strategies employed in community development and social changes are as follows:
• Advocacy. An important component of mobilization for policy support and
resources is advocacy. Mckee (1992: p. 13) defined advocacy as the
organization of information into an argument to be communicated through
various interpersonal and media channels. This is to gain political and social
leadership acceptance and prepare a society for a particular development
program. As the term implies, it is a persuasive communication for or against an
issue or concern. One of the goals of advocacy is empowerment, which
increases the capacity to define and analyze one's problems and needs.
Valdecanas (1989) stated that advocacy must be directed towards people's
decision-making power and aimed against policy makers to make them aware of
the needs and problems of the community. Thus, the main purpose of advocacy
is to generate support for a project in terms of funding allocation or some
commitment of resources. It focuses on various actors such as political leaders,
legislators, planners, and administrators in various sectors, media, organizations,
and NGOs which create a positive environment for program and service
12 delivery. According to Rose (1995: pp. 32-41), activities pertaining to advocacy
are planning with the community; dialogue with the people through assemblies;
distribution of leaflets, posters, signage displays, etc. These activities will
empower people making them realize that they can do something using their own
initiatives (Deomampo-Cerezo, 2005).
• Information, education and Communication (IEC). This is a common reference
to the communication component of development programs. IEC shows the
importance of the threefold concern of communication — information delivery,
training and human resource development, awareness and motivational
communication concerns. Valdez (2002) stated that the main aim of IEC is to
spread knowledge and encourage participation of the community.
• Volunteerism. Long range and short-term volunteerism in a community include
many factors: number of service projects completed, level of private support for
the different sectors, and meaningful fora in which to express appreciation for
volunteers. All of these factors are vital and will help achieve success if a final
ingredient of community's culture is added. Success will require inculcation of
an ethic of giving and sharing as a way of life (Civic Index, 1993). This needs
strong advocacy and a persuasive communication approach for people to realize
issues concerning their community. In return, this will initiate volunteerism and
participation among the people which are the key elements in development
programs.
13 • Networking and Collaboration. Community mobilization is based on
partnership. Networking adds success to mobilization efforts by identifying and
collaborating with relevant partners who can contribute to the program.
Community mobilization programs are directly related to the networking efforts
of the community representatives. According to Giarchi (2001: pp. 63-71),
access to and use of networks is also a strategy and a key element toward
community mobilization. These networks comprise institutions and community
organizations which indicate their interest to collaborate and become partners in
the implementation of a development program or project. Sharp (2001) contends
that the value of community networks and their qualitative aspects of interaction
structures are associated with the capacity for local action.
Alagcan (2006) indicated that collaboration and partnership are good
vehicles for building effective community development processes and structures.
Collaboration, to be successful, must be based on the commitment and
involvement of prominent leaders in the community. Support of high-level,
visible leaders brings credibility to the collaboration effort and is an essential
aspect of the success of the endeavor. On the other hand, partnership as viewed
by Lumbo (2001), can be achieved when organizations with similar vision and
philosophy, pool their resources together, and jointly work for a common goal.
They also agreed to share the risk and results of the partnership. This is
supported by Ohja (1999), who stated that partnership is an arrangement in
14 which two or more parties work cooperatively to attain a common goal, though they have independent mandates and functions. It is based on the idea that partnership presupposes a union of interests and a blurring of boundaries
(Arcadio, 2003). This reflects that none of the partners can perfectly function like the other with the same interests. It is a requirement in balancing the diverse intent of business, environment, community, and other sectors of society.
Statement of the Problem
Waste generation in the different regions of the country reflects the degree of urbanization. In cities where the standard of living is high, there is usually a huge amount of waste generated and collected, but with limited space for safe disposal, ecological threats and health risks are also high. These pose challenges to the roles of the government sectors as the lead actors engaged in SWM - the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, local government units especially the Barangay Councils, together with the NGOs, and the small private enterprises (i.e. junkshops and scavengers). Following the same policies and guidelines under RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, these channels employ various strategies and programs involving communities.
It is on this premise that this research intends to focus on analyzing the evolving strategies that encourage community involvement in SWM; find out the uniqueness and commonalities of the approaches employed; and the
15 sustainability of community participation. This study explores what has been done in the past, based on relevant literature, and identifies approaches and initiatives that work in the urban and urbanizing communities based on
Philippine experiences. It also includes my own contribution in managing household wastes - as a mother, community member, educator, and civil servant.
My study mainly employs conducting secondary data analysis of historical and existing literature and documents, personal and practical SWM experiences in selected areas of the Philippines. From these reviews, conclusions are drawn about the importance of community participation in SWM. Hence, my research seeks to answer the following specific questions:
1. How did the government initiate the SWM program in three selected
communities?
2. Who are the major stakeholders in SWM and their respective roles?
3. What SWM approaches have led to community involvement?
4. What barriers hinder the implementation of SWM program in
communities?
5. What are the lessons learned from the three case studies?
6. What are the recommendations to promote and enhance community
participation in SWM as well as potential areas for further research?
16 Methodology
Selection of the study sites was based on population density and location improvements. In particular, this study presented two success stories of transforming an open garbage dumpsites into a controlled waste processing zone, and my experience in initiating and conducting SWM-related project in a community.
The first case was in Quezon City, which has the highest population in Metro
Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The particular focus in the Quezon City case was the historical transformation of the Payatas garbage dumpsite into a facility for controlled waste disposal. This conversion started in November 2000 and by 2004, the Controlled Waste Disposal Facility of Payatas was fully operationalized.
The second case was Los Banos in Laguna, which is 64 kilometers away from Manila. It is an urbanizing town known as the "Science and Nature City," where the University of the Philippines Los Banos campus and a number of local and international research and development institutions are located. The specific focus of the discussion is the conversion of the town's open dumpsite situated at the foot of Mt. Makiling into an Eco-Waste Processing Zone with active involvement of the community. The operation of this waste processing center was started in 2004.
The last case was my own experience in initiating and coordinating a SWM- related project in Barangay (or village) Masili, Calamba City, an adjacent town to
17 Los Banos and also located in Laguna. Masili is a coastal community, which has been the pilot site of my project on SWM in 2005.
The study centers on solid waste generated by residents and households in the selected communities. The following methods were used: 1) Most data were taken from public documents on SWM, i.e., historical and existing records both published and unpublished, which include books, annual and program/project accomplishment reports, journal articles, newspaper clippings and internet search, among other documentations available from the Municipalities of Quezon City and
Los Banos as well as library research at the University of the Philippines campuses in Los Banos and Diliman, Quezon City; 2) textual analysis of the pertinent literature and studies obtained from the above sources; 3) learning from personal experiences as a volunteer and a demonstrator guided by the "learning by doing" principle; and 4) reflection on the sociological implications of SWM in the context of being a mofher/homekeeper, community member, educator, and government researcher/civil servant from 1988 to 2006 in a national agricultural council for research and development in the Philippines.
Generally, the discussion and analysis of the research findings are descriptive in nature adapting the interpretive mode of qualitative research.
Moreover, the analysis highlighted lessons learned from literature reviews, case studies, and my own experience.
18 CHAPTER II
CASE STUDY 1: TRANSFORMATION OF PAYATAS DUMPSITE INTO A CONTROLLED WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY
"For most cases, garbage crisis is limited to its collection. As long as the mounds of garbage are removed, it is a problem out of sight and out of mind". — Asian Development Bank, 2004
Solid waste generation is one of the major environmental issues, which has risen significantly in highly urbanized and industrialized areas. Metropolitan cities in developing countries like the Philippines relentlessly encounter solid waste consequences such as uncollected garbage, inadequate and inappropriate disposal facilities, and flooding. Floods occurred during typhoons when soil eroded with much garbage in overflowing water from rivers and canals that run through the low- level communities.
As Asian Development Bank (2004) stresses, "For most cases, garbage crisis is limited only to its collection. It is a problem out of sight and out of mind". Thus, it becomes a never-ending struggle for the national and local government units against uncontrolled and voluminous waste.
Metro Manila and Its Solid Waste Scenario
Metro Manila, as the center for trade and commerce of the Philippines, consists of 17 cities/municipalities with a total population of 11.6 million (National
Statistics Office, 2008). In 2003, its population ranked as the second largest
19 population in the country despite being the smallest region with respect to its land area.
Quezon City is the largest among the 17 municipalities in Metro Manila. It has a total land area of 16,112.25 hectares or 161 km with 2.7 million population at an annual growth rate of 1.92% (National Statistics Office, 2008). About 5% of the city's land is covered by Barangay Payatas. The barangay has 774 hectares of land area occupied by 200,000 people or 40,000 households. Figure 3 shows the aerial maps of Barangay Payatas. Within the barangay is the main solid waste dumpsite which has been in existence for more than three decades and caters to the 2.5 million residents of the city (National Statistics Office, 2005). It is one of the primary garbage dumping sites of Metro Manila since 1973.
SWM in this megacity has been a big issue to its government as a consequence of continuous "progress." Specifically, population expansion together with the changing lifestyle of people, rapid urbanization and commercialization contributed much to the increasing environmental problem. Metro Manila has the highest waste generation in the island of Luzon estimated at 1.8 million tons a year of which 74% came from the households, i.e., about 1,220 tons a day (National Solid
Waste Management Commission, 2000). With this, the government is spending about Philippine Peso (PhP) 3.8 million a year (estimated at CAD $95,000 @ $1:
PhP40) to manage its solid waste reduction categorized into recyclables, biodegradables, residuals, and other forms. The total annual spending of Manila
20 •>•.. •*>"• T&S>
Figure 3. Areal Maps of Barangay Payatas.
•J- 4
*£*'"
J«V' «•-
. •Skf^i
Source : Metropolitan Manila, Philippines, 2007.
21 alone for garbage collection amounted to PhP10.5 million (CAD $262,500) at
PhP 1,500 per ton of garbage. If recyclables and biodegradable are segregated at source and not disposed in dumpsites, about 95% of the budget or nearly PhP3.6 billion per year were expected to be saved. Thus, there was a great need for systematic SWM (Asian Development Bank, undated).
Harsh environmental degradation and health risks from inappropriate and mismanaged garbage disposal practices have become visible and alarming.
Dumpsites had been seen as the solution for all the waste generated in Metro Manila.
However, the dumpsites posed risks and problems. They generated potentially toxic liquids called "leachate" contaminating surface and groundwater, which are sources of drinking water. Furthermore, the burning of waste from dumpsites spread fumes of toxins into the air. This scenario described the mountainous garbage within the
Payatas community since 1973 until early 2000. The critically unstable mountain of waste had also been predicted to possibly cause a deadly garbage slide (Asian
Development Bank, 2004).
The Tragedy in Payatas Garbage Dumpsite
The Payatas tragedy in Quezon City in July 2000 was an 'eye opener' to the emerging demand of addressing solid waste problem. It highlighted the severity of
Metro Manila's garbage crisis. Hundreds of homes were buried and people, mostly scavengers, were killed when the Payatas garbage pile collapsed after a weekend of
22 heavy rains. This catastrophic garbage slide killed 229 scavengers and injured more than hundreds of people (Rentoy, 2005). The incident significantly brought to the
Philippine Government's attention on the issue of improper disposal of solid waste.
Appendix 1 shows the mountainous garbage in the Payatas open dumpsite prior to the tragic incident of erosion.
Under pressure from civil society groups and community organizations dissatisfied with improper landfill and open dump management, (Philippine
Environment Monitor, 2001), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ratified a new
National Solid Waste Management Bill in 2001. This policy set high standards for the country's Integrated Sustainable Waste Management emphasizing the importance of policy makers' awareness of contextual factors in devising and initiating workable environmental policies focusing on SWM.
Transformation of Payatas Garbarge Dumpsite into a Controlled Disposal Facility
In view of the dumpsite disaster in Payatas and the pressing issue of solid waste particularly in Quezon City, SWM became a priority concern of the city government. Accordingly, Hon. Feliciano SB. Belmonte Jr., City Mayor, stated that
"a more efficient garbage collection and disposal system has to be established with economically sound procedures" (Rentoy, 2005). This was to mitigate the adverse
23 environmental, health, and economic impacts of improper waste management
(Rentoy, 2008).
The tragedy of the trash slide in Payatas temporarily closed the dumpsite with plans of transforming it into a sanitary landfill. However, its closure led to a garbage collection crisis with waste left uncollected throughout the metropolis. In
November 2000, Payatas was reopened to serve as a transfer station of garbage. It was fully converted and operated as a Controlled Waste Disposal Facility of Quezon
City in January 2004 (Sabater, 2006). Appendix 2 presents today's developments in the Payatas Waste Facility.
Enforcement of Relevant Municipal Policies and Ordinances in Waste Management.
Administratively, RA 9003 or the "Ecological Solid Waste Management
Act" provides the legal backbone for systematic, comprehensive, and sound ecological solid waste advocacy and management (Congress of the Philippines,
2000). This law viewed waste as a resource that can be recovered by following and putting into practice the 3R principles: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
While the extent of recycling through local government initiatives has been limited, the process of recycling from the point of waste segregation to the stage of transforming useful waste into another marketable product i.e. an income source, makes it extensive. This necessitates coordinative work with the community and the private sector. The scavengers play vital roles in this activity. Through this
24 approach, it is estimated that about 10% of the total waste generated can be recycled.
With RA 9003, higher amounts of waste are recycled and a 25% waste reduction over a 5-year period is expected.
The transformation of Payatas into a controlled disposal facility led to the formulation and adoption of many relevant policies under the supervision of the
Quezon City administration. Guided by the national government laws and ordinances at the local level, the City imposed several garbage collection policies, which are listed below:
• Garbage from all households including subdivisions1 shall be collected twice a
week. Any requests for additional days of collection shall be borne by the
homeowners through city-accredited private haulers.
• The collection schedule in high refuse generating residential areas identified by
the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department shall depend
on the volume of waste generated, which means that these areas may be served
daily/ twice/ or three times a week.
• Waste generated by commercial and business establishments shall be collected
by city-contracted haulers only when they are along the route of collection. No
special collections shall be carried out by city-contracted haulers.
1 Subdivisions refer to "gated residential communities" with controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and sometimes having a closed perimeter offences. They usually consist of small residential streets including various amenities like a park, sports area, etc. They are situated within certain portion of the barangay or village of which homeowners are generally well-off.
25 • Only the domestic waste2 of industrial establishments and hospitals along the
route of collection shall be collected by city-contracted haulers.
• Industries and hospitals shall seek the services of a waste treatment company
duly accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for
the collection, cleaning, and disposal of toxic, hazardous, and hospital infectious
waste.
• Construction and demolition debris shall not be collected by city-contracted
haulers.
To date, Quezon City has already enacted 17 ordinances on SWM which according to the Metro Manila Development Authority is the highest among all local government units in Manila. Moreover, recent ordinances on SWM were enacted by the City as a showcase of its make-over. Among the latest ordinances passed by the municipality include:
• Ordinance SP-1711, S-2006: Regulating the operation of junkshops in Quezon
City and imposing a penalty for violation;
• Ordinance SP-1506, S-2005: Amending Ordinance No. 6305, prohibiting the
throwing of any kind of garbage, waste matters, or refuse in any drainage outlets
such as rivers, creeks, or any tributaries in Quezon City;
2 Domestic waste includes segregated garbage which is commonly collected from households (biodegradables and non-biodegradables) such as plastics, scrap metals, papers, food leftovers, etc.
26 • Ordinance SP-1530, S-2005: Mandating residents, owners, and operators of
institutions and establishments to clean their own surroundings including canals,
streets, or roads in their immediate premises to make Quezon City a cleaner and
healthier place to live in and providing penalties for violation;
• Ordinance SP-1501, S-2005: Requiring subdivision developers and/or
subdivision owners in Quezon City to provide sufficient space for the installation
of composting facilities to accommodate the disposal of recyclables or
biodegradable waste generated by homeowners and providing for penalties and
administrative sanctions for violation;
• Ordinance SP-1323, S-2003: Adopting guidelines and procedures for a unified
approach in managing solid waste;
• Ordinance SP-1203, S-2002: Granting incentives to barangays practicing best
SWM; and
• Ordinance SP-1191, S-2002: Providing incentives to all barangays utilizing their
own trucks for solid waste collection service in their respective areas (Rentoy,
2008).
Stakeholders' Partnership and Collaboration for the Operation of the Payatas Controlled Waste Disposal Facility
Under the supervision of the City Mayor, Payatas gradual transformation into a disposal facility was achieved. Through the cooperation of a number of
27 organizations, which collaborated in achieving the goal for the conversion of
Payatas, efficient and effective planning strategies were defined. Among the organizations which contributed to the Payatas initiatives were:
• Isabela P. Mercado Environmental Services, Inc., a private contractor signed up
by the Environment Protection and Waste Management Department of the
Municipality of Quezon City to collect the city's garbage;
• Payatas Operations Group, a workforce of 200 persons headed by former
Philippine Army Colonel Hadji Jameel Jaymalin, who provided control of the
operations done within the vicinity of the Payatas dumpsite (Rentoy, 2005); and
• NGOs such as the Homeless People's Federation Philippines, Vincentian
Missionaries for Social Development Foundation, Inc., and Star of Hope
Philippines.
The Municipal Government of Quezon City designated its Environment
Protection and Waste Management Department to implement the city's SWM program. It consisted of 93 contractual personnel who implemented the monitoring system of waste disposal in Payatas facility. Together with other contractors working in tandem with the said Department, the facility was maintained and developed. Mercado Environmental Services and other private contractors had about a hundred trucks, each with a crew of two paleros (garbage haulers), driver, and sweep coordinator, rolling into their designated dispatching area in Barangay
Payatas. Each truck was issued a Work Assignment Ticket and preceded to their
28 assigned routes picking and collecting all the garbage from shops, offices, households, and other establishments. The collection process took an average of three to four hours. Three mopping-up operations were conducted at almost four- hour intervals. Mobile monitors roamed the community and reported via radiophone to the Mercado Environmental Services Supervisor the uncollected garbage within the district. In response, the Supervisor directed designated trucks to collect the garbage in the next mopping-up operation or re-routed a truck to the spotted place to pick up the garbage and unload the hauls in the disposal area of the facility.
The Operations Group supervised the conversion and eventual operation of the Payatas Controlled Waste Facility. The process of transformation involved a number of measures to restructure, upgrade, and optimize the utilization of the dumpsite to invigorate the place and mitigate the environmental impact of its operations. These included slope stabilization, greening of the slopes, drainage system improvement, and leachate collection and recirculation. The slope of dumps in Payatas, which used to be dangerously steep at 60-70 degrees angle, had been reduced to a more stable 23-25 degrees through side-cutting and terracing. This prevented garbage slide and surface run-off, thus averting water seepage and leachate generation. The re-profiled slopes used soil cover to avoid erosion and make it more stable. Greening of the slope was achieved by providing vegetative cover on the slope. Vetiver, a plant species with an extensive root system was used to cover the slope since it is capable of anchoring tightly in the soil and to further
29 stabilize it. This was an adoption of a study conducted by the University of the
Philippines Los Banos and the University of Singapore on the use vetiver grass for greening purposes. Separate drains were constructed to enhance the drainage system of waste facility. This ensured that rainwater was adequately collected especially during heavy downpours; otherwise water would penetrate on the ground, and cause erosion and slides. In addition, open canals and ditches were also constructed along the periphery of the dumpsite to allow greater volumes of surface water runoff. It is regularly dredge to ensure free flow of water. On the other hand, leachate was collected through a drain conveyed to a pumping station and re-circulate above the ground via sprinkler system to water the vetiver grass and other growing plant species on the mulched dumps (Rentoy, 2005).
Other NGOs played key roles in social responsibility to provide livelihood programs to the families living in Payatas. The people (scavengers in particular), whose source of livelihood is derived from the trash, were provided with seminar- workshops on income generation from recyclable materials through the NGOs assistance. On the other hand, more than 300 families, specifically those residing along the danger zone, had been relocated temporarily with the aid of the Municipal
Government.
30 Approaches Employed for Community Involvement
Community-based initiatives involved waste segregation at source, recycling, and composting. The barangay leaders and NGOs directly working with the people in the community aligned their respective programs with the execution and advocacy of an effective and efficient implementation of SWM (Asian Development Bank,
2004).
In relation to the above, the Local Government of Quezon City created and implemented various SWM-related programs and projects involving the community and other stakeholders (Municipal Government of Quezon City Flyer, undated).
These were:
• Solid Waste Reduction
Simot Basura sa Barangay (Waste Picking in the Village). It was
created under the Executive Order No. 24 which declared that every last Sunday
of the month is the "Simot Basura sa Barangay Day" (Community Waste
Picking during Barangay Day). It was introduced to get rid of bulky waste such
as earth mounds, tree cuttings/trimmings that were usually mixed with regular
household waste. It also included securing and preventing the city's waterways
from incoming solid waste indiscriminately thrown of into them.
Sinop Basura sa Barangay (Village Solid Waste Reduction). This was a
community-based SWM program, which aimed to reduce the volume of solid
waste at the point of generation. It specifically supports the implementation of
31 "separate collection" or the "no segregation, no collection" scheme in the
barangay. Garbage segregation is done at the household level, otherwise
unsegregated waste will not be collected which result to an increasing risk of a
"mess of garbage" at certain households. In conjunction with this activity, was
the implementation of the Sweepers Brigade — a program that deployed
sweepers toward a litter-free street. It employed 260 street sweepers, which
concentrated on maintaining clean roads, gutter repainting, and grass cutting as
integral parts of their daily operations.
Door-to-Door Collection System, This is a system of waste collection
applied to places within Quezon City that were not accessible to big collection
trucks. Community leaders were assigned and provided with pushcarts for
house-to-house garbage collection. Garbage collected was later transferred to
trucks stationed in the main road.
• Livelihood from Solid Waste
Kalat Mo, Kabuhayan Ko (Your Garbage, My Livelihood). Launched
during Quezon City's Foundation Day in 2006, this project encouraged and
taught barangay constituents to make profitable handicrafts out of the waste they
usually discard. The city government with volunteer NGO representatives and
small business owners, provided training to interested individuals and groups
from various communities in the city. Appendix 3 shows the training on
handicrafts' making from recycled waste conducted by the volunteers of Quezon
32 City for the community, and some sample products such as wall decor, flower
vase, tissue holder, fan, among others.
Organization and Shift Schedule of Scavengers at the Controlled Waste
Disposal Facility. From various communities aside from Payatas, there were
about a thousand scavengers who depended on garbage as their source of income.
With the Payatas Operations Group and the barangay leaders, they were
organized into seven subgroups of scavengers on a rotating schedule (shifting) for
picking recyclables and reusable materials from the solid waste. These scavengers
had the option to either sell collected garbage to junkshops of their choice or to
recycle them into another item for sale in the market.
• Advocacy and Social Marketing
The Solid Waste Market. The city government, in coordination with the
private sector, identified strategic avenues to promote and showcase recycling of
traditional and non-traditional waste. Booths and stalls were set up in various
malls in the city. Every first Friday and Saturday of the month, these
promotional tours were conducted in super malls and on the 4th Friday of the
month, it was held in specific city locations. Items that can be redeemed
comprise: papers, plastics, metals, aluminum cans, bottles, junk electronics,
used ink and toner cartridges, lead acid batteries, juice packs, used oil, etc.
Massive IEC Campaign. To enhance community awareness and
consciousness on the need, importance, and benefits of SWM, consultations,
33 seminars, training workshops on proper solid waste segregation, recycling and management were conducted within barangays, schools, and business establishments. These included the distribution of information and educational materials like flyers, posters, and pamphlets mostly written in Tagalog (national dialect). Special events such as the Earth Day and Environment Month
Celebrations were held with speakers from the national and international institutions engaged in environmental programs, participated in by the private sector, NGOs, community leader representatives, among other concerned groups.
Bawas Basura (Waste Reduction) Mascots. The Quezon City-
Environment Protection and Waste Management Department introduced the
"Bawas Basura Mascots". They are individuals who wear masks and costumes which symbolize SWM-related meanings to capture people's attention and interest. Names given to the mascots were based on SWM terms in Tagalog, i.e., "Tintin Kutingting (Reuse)", "Christina Compostina (Compost)," and
"Dodong Masinop (Recycle)" which were also printed in their costumes. These
Mascots promote solid waste reduction, segregation and recycling intended for the youth and children as an early awareness campaign on the proper management of solid waste. They usually visited malls, city events and festivities, and school programs. Likewise, big posters with the slogan "Maliliit na Basura, Ibulsa Pansamantala" (placing small garbage into one's pocket for the meantime to avoid litter) were posted in different strategic areas where people
34 normally pass and stay. This served as a reminder for people not to litter, and
eventually became a habit for them. Community volunteers took part in
disseminating reading materials to households and business establishments, as
well as in posting the posters.
Zero Litter 2010. In February 2008, the city government initiated the
Zero Litter 2010 Program, which aims to educate the public on the shared
responsibility of maintaining cleanliness in the city. This IEC campaign focuses
on instilling discipline among the residents, business operators and owners with
respect to their concern and conscious effort toward SWM. Along with this was
the Junkshop Standardization Project that incorporated an informal sector
(junkshops) into the SWM program of the city by providing environmental
standards for the sector to follow (Rentoy, 2008).
Appendix 3 illustrates the advocacy and social marketing initiatives of the
Municipal Government in collaboration with various organizations, community leaders and volunteers.
Barriers in the Implementation of the SWM Program
Problems of community involvement had arisen at different levels from enforcement of the regulations to the implementation of relevant programs that needs shared support (physical, technical, financial, etc.) from concerned institutions. Despite the efforts of the legislators/policy makers together with the
35 national and local government leaders as well as NGOs, there is a continuing dilemma on enhancing community participation in managing their own generated waste. It is because of the obvious increase of population due to in-migration, especially in Metro Manila. Hence, there is a need for a sustained campaign to orient people towards SWM and to enhance their awareness of the various SWM policies and programs in their communities in order to get them involved. This has to be complemented with resources from involved institutions primarily the local government units, which has a limited budget. In addition, these institutions have their respective mandates, objectives, and programs, SWM is one of those priority projects they are supporting .
According to Rentoy (2008), the low level of public awareness on SWM was a critical consideration in the goal of gaining community participation.
Considering the huge and increasing population of Quezon City with a very small land area, it was difficult for the city government to encourage people's involvement in the SWM program. People tended to rely on local leaders. Awareness and consciousness build up really took time before people constantly participated.
People were focused more on earning a living rather than managing their waste.
Monitoring the violators was a shared responsibility of the local government and the community. Generally, the local leaders composed of the Barangay Captain and
Councilors take the lead in monitoring the non-compliance of the SWM ordinances.
Usually, the Councilors are assigned a sub-village to take care of with volunteers
36 from the community. They conduct meetings with the people to solicit suggestions and encourage their participation to comply with the ordinances. Often, there are women who speak about their household members' unintentional negligence to comply with the proper management of solid waste and the reasons why they do so.
This helps the local leaders and the people to settle the problems at the community level, and become aware of the degree of non-compliance. For Metro Manila with its big and rising population, violators also increase. Monitoring helped instill discipline and reinforced awareness concerning the consequences of non-compliance of solid waste ordinances. The city government also concentrated on strengthening the operation of the Payatas Waste Facility and promoting the benefits of SWM to the people by enhancing its EIC campaign.
Controlled Waste Disposal Facility's Progress in Payatas Community
The new Payatas is now considered as a successful outcome of the city's struggle for SWM. All the initiatives of waste diversion have already shown measurable effect on the volume of trash that ends up at Payatas. In 2005, it had a daily waste uptake of 1,214 tons, which was almost 50 percent less compared with that of 2004 with 2,358 tons per day. As the pile of waste deteriorates, it produces methane gas, which the city learned to utilize. The Payatas Facility now has a power generator using the methane gas exuded from waste.
37 Based on the study conducted by the Philippine National Oil Company-
Exploration Corporation in 2002, the former dumpsite can produce sufficient gas in the next 10 years. It can generate 1 megawatt that is enough to provide a considerable amount of power for the Payatas community. As a result, a pilot methane gas power plant was built at the dumpsite in 2003 to capture the methane gas from the biodegradation of waste via surface and underground pipelines. This was fed into the 100-kilowatt engine generator set that converts the gas into electrical power. In 2004, the Facility was able to light methane-powered Christmas lights all-night long throughout the holiday season. Through the electric facility, people residing in the community can do their laundry and ironing for free. This is also considered a breakthrough in the management of Payatas dumpsite.
Future plans are now being laid out to maximize the full potentials of the dumpsite for the benefit of the community. In particular, the 1 megawatt gas-to- power project is currently being evaluated by international monitoring agencies to determine its qualification for a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project.
This certified project aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas which can be a potential community development fund raising by selling its carbon credits to industrialized countries that need reduction of their greenhouse gas.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized and developed nations agreed to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emission by at least 5 percent from 2008 to
2012. To achieve the targets, the Protocol created flexibility mechanism such as
38 CDM embodying the concept that mitigation activities could be translated into instruments called carbon credits that can be traded between countries to obtain the quantified emission limitations and reduction commitments (Australian Department of Foreign and Trade, 2006). Waste management projects, especially those that deal with the production of methane from biodegradation of organic waste, are eligible as
CDM project (Rentoy, 2005).
Lessons Learned
To achieve a systematic waste disposal system through community participation, strong leadership, political will, and the integration of a variety of creative and innovative strategies were observed to be of great importance in initiating SWM Program. However, the focus on strong leadership creates the question on the sustainability of the program. Thus, the need for a highly involved constituency would guarantee sustainability.
Most of the strategies implemented by the Municipal Government include interventions that strengthen the knowledge and awareness of the people in the community about the benefits of managing solid waste, including the notion of
"garbage as a resource" which means income source or "money generator". The scheduled redeemable recyclable waste at various malls in Quezon City, provision of training workshop for handicraft making from recyclables, for interested individuals and groups in the community, implementation of a "Sweepers' Brigade" which
39 provides employment to a number of people in the community who serve as street sweepers, and the organization of scavengers by sub-groups on a shifting schedule for picking recyclable and reusable waste within the Payatas Controlled Waste
Disposal Facility are valuable initiatives for income/money generation. This in effect encourages community participation for these strategies only need people's effort, interest, time with very little or without any cost at all.
The inculcation of environmental ethics among community members, most especially the youth, is an essential step to alleviate environmental issues of mismanaged solid waste.
40 CHAPTER III
CASE STUDY 2: CONVERSION OF LOS BANOS DUMPSITE INTO AN ECO-WASTE PROCESSING ZONE
"Garbage problem is not a sole responsibility of the government; the citizens must do their share on proper waste disposal. Everyone is enjoined into becoming a disciplined citizen by practicing waste segregation, composting, re-use and recycling. No amount of high technology and financial capability can solve the garbage problem without discipline, as it is the road to community and nation's progress." —Perez, Science & Technology Week Forum, 2006
SWM is a concern of every municipality and city in most parts of the
Philippines. Since the 1980s, Los Banos, one of the towns in the province of
Laguna, faced problems and challenges on how to reduce waste in its locality. The foot of Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve was the site of an open garbage dumpsite that affected people's health, especially of those in nearby communities. It likewise created environmental problems due to the pollution it created. The conversion of this open dumpsite into an eco-waste processing zone was a struggle among its stakeholders. A stakeholder is any person, community, group, or institution having interest in a development program, project or activity and its outcome (Qualman,
1997). It includes both the intended beneficiaries and intermediaries, and those involved in the decision-making process. These are people and groups which collaborate and become partners having commitment in the sharing of their resources toward a more expedient delivery of services and outputs (Mosqueda,
1999).
41 In Los Banos, the participation, collaboration and educational campaigns of the local government, the science community, and the people themselves to instill knowledge and awareness allowed the SWM program to succeed and become a model for other communities in the country. The program focused on the idea that waste management is the responsibility of all sectors of society and requires discipline among the citizenry (Perez, 2006).
The Town of Los Banos, Laguna
The Municipality of Los Banos, Laguna (under Region IV) is situated between the shore of Laguna de Bay and the legendary Mt. Makiling, 63 km south of Manila. It has a total land area of 5,650 hectares, 42% of which is covered by the
University of the Philippines Los Banos and 22% military reservation and other government organizations. The rest are commercial, agricultural, and residential areas from which the municipality derives income for the implementation of its priority programs.
The town comprised 14 barangays and 83 'sitios' (sub-villages) with a population of 92,071 composed of 17,030 households. It has two public markets and approximately 2,500 commercial establishments based on 2004 demographic data (Municipal Profile of Los Banos, 2004). From a backwoods town, home to a number of agriculture-based research and development institutions, Los Banos has evolved from a Special University Zone in 1979 (Letter of Instruction No. 883) to an
42 Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences Community in 1982 (Executive Order No.
784). In year 2000, it was proclaimed as a "Special Science and Nature City" by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 349 (Los Baiios Science Community Post
2000: pp. 1 & 5).
Helping the municipality in its SWM program is the Los Banos Science
Community. This Science Community was established in 1984 and reconstituted into a Foundation in 2001. It is a unique organization consisting of public and private institutions with diverse yet complementary strengths in the fields of the sciences, arts, business, and social services. It envisions and commits to effectively cooperate towards the creation of a model community by addressing priority needs of the Los Baiios community and similar environs through creativity and innovation.
This is anchored in its vision of building a prosperous, environmentally- conscious, scientifically-oriented, humane, and united community, living in harmony with nature (Los Baiios Science Community Post 2001: p. 1). The Los Baiios
Science Community Foundation, Incorporated constitutes 22 national and international research and development agencies, most of which are located within the University campus. They have sectoral programs on education, livelihood and environment. Figure 4 presents the vicinity map of Los Baiios incorporating the member-agencies of the Science Community (Appendix 5).
In 1994, Los Banos received an award as one of the top 10 "Cleanest Town in the Philippines" (Los Baiios Science Community Post 2001: p. 5). It also gained
43 TO BAY TO MANILA
• DOST-IV • IRRI • BPI-LBNCRDC • PMLRICE / • PCAMRD * UPLB • PCARRD • SEARCA • PARRFI * ERDB Q • FPRDI 7 • Municipal • UPLBFI Government of Los Banos 0 LBP + DA-LBFFRS * LWD T LBCF
* LLDA UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES COLLEGE OF FORESTRY FOREST RESERVE
MT. UAKIUNG
Source: Los Banos Science Community Brochure, 2000.
Figure 4. Vicinity Map of Los Banos Incorporating the Science Community.
44 national recognition as Science and Nature City with collaborative and complementary support from the member-institutions of the Foundation. Los Banos continues to champion the cause of eco-tourism, green business and enterprise development. It vows to advocate continually for ecological governance that capitalizes on SWM.
Solid Waste Condition of Los Banos: Issues and Challenges
From the total land area of Los Banos, 64% is utilized for military and forest
(Mt. Makiling) reservations. This evidently contributed to a pressing problem of limited space for sanitary landfills of the town's voluminous garbage. The daily volume of 33-35 tons per day of unsegregated solid waste was mainly attributed to the municipality's expanding population and increasing number of business establishments. The accumulated waste from more than 20 years of use since the
1980s in the open dumpsite was aggravated by continuous waste disposal from nearby towns, non-participation in waste segregation of the citizenry, and their reliance solely to the local government units in solving this crisis. The absence of a functional system of waste reduction, recycling, and disposal without enforcement of local ordinances posed challenges to government leaders in the locality (Perez,
2006).
45 According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (1998), open dumpsites are considered as the only form of solid waste disposal facility that is affordable to the LGUs. However, this is based on simple financial calculations, neglecting the direct and indirect costs associated with continuing and rising environmental degradation, which impacts upon public health and the safety of the population as a whole. This includes the effects of smoke, dust and persistent foul odors on air and water quality; the presence of insects and vermin, the potential vectors that spread diseases and allergies; and the overall impact on the environment
(people's habitat and source of food), among others. Based on the environmental risk assessment project final report of the University of the Philippines Los Banos
(Alcantara, 2005: pp. 1-5), prior to 2001 most households in Los Banos dumped their waste into creeks, waterways, canals and street corners, resulting in massive breeding grounds for pathogens, parasites, and disease vectors. Small businesses located in heavily populated areas also indiscriminately disposed of waste, such as non-biodegradable materials, plastics and composite packaging into creeks.
Likewise, commercial and medical centers dumped potentially hazardous wastes.
People handling them, particularly the waste pickers/scavengers, were predominantly exposed to pollution and experienced a high exposure to health hazards. The 24-hour smoke emission from burning combustible waste was a common complaint of nearby communities. These were the major social and health problems brought about by the persistent and risky waste disposal system of the
46 open dumpsites ~ an 'eyesore' for Los Bafios known as a city where science embraces nature. Appendix 6 shows the Los Banos garbage dumpsite before its conversion into an eco-waste processing zone.
Recognizing the above issues and challenges, the Municipal Government of
Los Bafios, Science Community Foundation, and the Barangay Council, jointly searched for a suitable site to process community waste.
From Open Dumpsite to an Eco-Waste Processing Zone
An open dumpsite is a disposal area where solid waste are indiscriminately thrown without proper planning and consideration for environmental and health standards (Alcantara, 2005: p.3). In municipalities with hilly areas, dumpsites are typically located along the slopes of creeks, like in the town of Los Banos, which is situated at the foot of a Forest Reserve. The threats to environmental security, public health and safety of communities and their economic activities, have to be addressed in collaboration with the local government and the people in the locality.
A safe and secured SWM facility is needed to protect the health of the community and to support the economic development of the municipality.
47 Enforcement of Policies and Local Ordinances in SWM
RA 9003 of 2000 imposes mandatory segregation and recycling of solid waste at the barangay level, and sets the deadline for the closure of dumpsites to make way for the establishment of fully operational sanitary landfills. Segregation at source is not widely practiced in communities, as recycling and recovery are conducted in almost all communities on an informal and limited scale.
Under the said Act, it is stipulated that the local government is responsible for collecting non-recyclable materials and special waste, while the barangay units are given the task of collecting and segregating the biodegradable waste that can be composted and reused. From this provision, the Municipality of Los Banos issued a series of Municipal Ordinances and Memorandum Orders down to the community level through the Barangay Council for strict compliance (compiled policies and ordinances on SWM, as of 2008). These are as follows:
• Ordinance No. 2004-363, Declaration of "Pista ng Kapaligiran" (Environmental
Festivity) in Los Banos every 2nd Saturday of September;
• Ordinance No. 2001-07, Establishment of Task Force Kalinisan (Clean) which
designates groups to oversee the cleanliness of specific area that include river
ways, and impose penalty to violators;
• Ordinance No. 2004-338, Creation of SWM Board with Memorandum Order for
the creation of the Barangay Ecological SWM Committee. This appoints
48 Deputized Volunteer Enforcers and Task Force 'Kalinisan' (Clean), and the
formulation of a 10-year SWM Plan;
• Ordinance No. 2001-08 and Memorandum Order No. CPP-04-203,
Institutionalizing proper SWM (supported with an Order imposing
administrative case on any person. This includes the barangay officials who
violate rules under RA 9003 and this ordinance; and
• Ordinance No. 2008-752, Prohibiting the use of plastic bags on dry goods and
regulating their utilization on wet goods and prohibiting the use of styrofoam in
the Municipality, imposing penalties for non-compliance and violations.
The 'Birth' of the Ecological Waste Processing Center
The implementation of RA 9003 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations has brought a major shift from garbage disposal to an ecological SWM. The enactment of this law in 2000 coincided with the new leadership and administration of the Municipality of Los Banos as a result of the local election in the same year.
The town's priority program has been set toward environmental protection and rehabilitation that capitalized on SWM. In 2001, through the initiative and leadership of the Municipal Mayor, with the technical assistance of the Los Banos
Science Community Foundation Inc., the plan to convert the dumpsite into an Eco-
3 An administrative case is a written complaint by an individual, group or sector of society against a person who violates a certain law or rule. This is a "sue" issued by the court to a person who committed an offensive activity/harassment to the other individual.
49 Waste Processing Center was planned. This primarily addressed the environmental ills caused by the uncontrolled and voluminous waste disposal in the dumpsite.
After a series of meetings, consultations, and dialogues with concerned stakeholders that comprised the member-institutions of the Science Community, the Barangay Councils and representatives of the different government and non government organizations, the municipal government finally crafted the town-wide
SWM Plan that highlighted the Waste Processing Center. It subscribed to the principle that waste management is the responsibility of all rather than only the government's and a few other sectors. It is an integral concern of environmental protection, health, sanitation, employment, business, education, and other general public welfare agenda.
As indicated in the 10-year plan of the Municipality, the goal was to ultimately reduce and recycle waste into usable forms with the participation of the community (Municipality Government of Los Banos, 2004). Through eco- governance, Los Banos was envisioned to be one of the cleanest and healthiest municipalities with a highly empowered and responsible citizenry. The Eco-Waste
Processing Center specifically aimed to implement soil and water conservation measures for slope stabilization, acquire an upgraded facility for composting, come up with a sanitary disposal system for residuals, and re-vegetate the center into an ecological park. With these, the center has become the showcase of an integrated
50 SWM program in the municipality with the creation of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office responsible for its promotion and implementation.
Operationalization of the Eco-Waste Processing Center Through Science and Technology
It was in 2004 when the Waste Processing Center started its operation. To initially finance the plan, solicitation of cash and in-kind contributions from various sources was conducted to augment the 20% budget allocation from the municipality's income (Municipality of Los Banos, 2004). A team of experts from the university, the private sector, NGOs and other volunteers together with the municipal mayor convened to share and complement their knowledge, skills, and experiences for the center.
The ecological waste processing zone occupies 1.1 ha. The center showcases the use of low-cost designs and construction of disposal and recycling facilities and equipment using reusable materials like scrap metal, wood, etc. It utilizes about
1,000 m2 for facilities such as a shredding area for biodegradable waste, composting bins, storage for recyclables, a pressing machine, and a multi-purpose hall. The remaining space is used as an experimental site for the production of ornamental plants using the produced compost. The composting system includes a leachate- collecting pond preventing the contamination of underground water. This system
51 has been improved using the elevated crib-type composting pen of light materials such as wood, bamboo, and plastic screen.
The center concentrates on the collection and transport of waste, static concrete composting method of biodegradable waste, fabrication/upgrading of equipment for shredding of biodegradables, and adoption of soil and water conservation measures for slope stabilization (Agricultural Waste Processing and
Management Committee, 2003). The former garbage dumpsite became a "mini" eco-park with flowering plants and ornamental trees such as champaca, ilang-ilang, neem, lapnis, palm, mulberry and others. For composting, carbonaceous organic materials such as coco coir dust (powder coconut husk) are used as bulking agents to improve soil physical characteristics such as lowering moisture content, favoring aeration, and enhancing soil biological properties. Compost slowly releases nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium and can provide high sources of carbon. The center also processes (washed, dried, melted, and molded) polyethylene and polypropylene plastics into mini tables and chairs. The products are utilized in the municipal's day care centers.
Appendix 7 presents the progress of the Los Banos Eco-Waste Processing
Center from its origin as garbage dumpsite, which is now a showcase of SWM programs and community practices.
52 Approaches Toward Social Participation and Mobilization on SWM
As stressed by Perez (2006), SWM is not solely the responsibility of the municipal government but everybody's concern. Every sector of society is equally responsible in protecting the environment and sharing the task of keeping Los Banos clean and healthy. A community-wide focus and participation is very crucial for success. It relies heavily on the value of discipline among the constituents in managing the municipal solid waste. A number of approaches have been employed by the municipal government to encourage and strengthen people's participation and motivation toward SWM with the establishment and operation of the Eco-Waste
Processing Center.
Experiencing and realizing the real problem on solid waste. The Municipal
Mayor decided to set up an office within a Multi-Purpose Hall at the dumpsite.
Most of the meetings with the different sectors and organizations from the early stages of the project were conducted in the open dumpsite. As a policy, the
Municipal Mayor does not allow wearing of masks or covering of the face (nose and mouth) in the dumpsite/center for people to feel the consequences of ignoring and neglecting our garbage (Perez, 2006).
"Pista ng Kapaligiran " (Environmental Festivity). The first year of this festivity in 2004, was held in the dumpsite. This is an annual event which highlights the collection of e (electronic) junk i.e., old computers, printers, ink cartridges, etc.; showcases innovative products from waste contributed by the Department of
53 Education and the civic and community organizations; as well as cultural parades and shows of the Science Foundation member-institutions and other organizations on the theme of SWM and environmental protection/preservation. Some of the activities are part of competitions for the cleanest barangay, and lantern-making from recyclable waste materials. Entries for the lantern-making contest out of recyclables are selected on the basis of the following criteria: ingenuity or originality that also includes uniqueness, number of participants from the community involved, and the attached meaning/relevance to the environmental theme. Cash awards and plaques of recognition are given by the municipal and provincial governments.
Participatory problem identification and problem solving. This involves the conduct of dialogues, meetings, consultations, and organizing stakeholders into clusters for efficient and systematic collection of garbage and identification of common problems and relevant strategies for community mobilization on SWM.
Clusters include the Science Community Foundation, barangay officials, business establishments, homeowners, resorts, religious organizations, markets, junkshops, funerals, schools, computer shops, etc.
Organization of pedestrians and 'bicycled' scavengers into Los Banos Solid
Waste Pickers now called the "Association of Recyclers and Traders. " Scavengers were organized and trained by the Philippine Society for the Study of Nature. After their training, they were provided with an identification card, a uniform, and seed
54 money for pedicabs (a manually-operated, 3-wheel bicycle-type) used in collecting and managing the recyclables for sale to junkshops, where the recycling company buys the bulk of recyclable materials. Waste pickers without IDs are not permitted to collect garbage, and violators are being penalized. With their successful organization and systematic generation of income from waste, some of them were able to acquire a motorcycle and/or tricycle for their own junkshop. Moreover, the local government unit's launching of the 'buy-back plastic" scheme augmented the income of the members of the Organization. Early in 2008, their group transformed itself into an "Association of Recyclers and Traders", aimed at empowering its members by taking the initiative and leading the community in separating plastics as non-biodegradable waste for collection, and promoting the use of woven indigenous baskets called "bayong" instead of plastic bags.
Massive IEC campaign. The local government embarked on a house-to- house distribution of leaflets on SWM. The members of the Barangay Nutrition
Scholars, Barangay Health Workers, and the municipal scholars are utilized for this activity. The IEC materials include 3-fold flyers on SWM specifically pertaining to science and technology, clean environment for a healthy and better community, and composting at home. The flyers were written in layperson's language (Tagalog).
They were easy to read, have simple instructions and pictures highlighting the SWM motto of Los Bafios which states "Dapat Walang Kalat, Hiwalay Na, ' Yan ang Los
Bafios" (No litter.! Segregate. That's Los Bafios).
55 Strict policy implementation on collection and transport of waste with the constituents. To ensure that only biodegradable waste and a few selected, non biodegradables are transported to the Waste Processing Center, the municipal government set a schedule of collection and disposal site for each kind of waste which has to be strictly followed, Constituents are required to bring out the biodegradable waste between 8-9 in the evening from Monday to Friday. Non biodegradable waste are brought out every second and fourth Saturdays of the month at 8-9 in the evening. No collection of waste is done on Sundays. Branches of trees are dumped in a separate site for composting. The Los Banos Science Community
Post, the quarterly newsletter of the Science Foundation, regularly features the events, accomplishments, issues, new policies and ordinances on the SWM program.
Municipal Ordinances and Memorandum Orders including flyers, posters and other announcements are posted in bulletin boards of the municipality and the barangay halls. The provincial newsletter, "The Laguna Score" also publishes news about the provincial SWM program occasionally featuring the municipal's activities.
Without exceptions, violators are penalized with a whole day community service like cleaning/waste picking along the streets, market, creeks, etc. and/or a fine of PhP 300 which was increased to PhP 500 this year. This information is also included in the flyers distributed to each household.
Appendix 8 demonstrates some of the initiatives and strategies that encouraged community interest and involvement in SWM programs and practices.
56 Networking and Partnership among the Stakeholders
Through the leadership of the Municipal Government of Los Banos, the conversion of the open dumpsite into an Eco-Waste Processing Center was implemented with the support of different stakeholders. The Los Banos Science
Community Foundation, Inc. supported the continuing research and development on waste conversion and utilization. NGOs, private enterprises like commercial centers, junkshops, and most importantly the people in the community helped in communication campaigns and implementation of the program in the municipality.
A Technical Working Group from the Foundation, which included the local council, was created. Various committees and working groups were initially mobilized to formulate a management and rehabilitation plan, and provide relevant technologies, training, expert's advice, and other resources to the center. The SWM Board at the municipal level, local government unit staff, and volunteer institutions also provided technical assistance and administrative services.
Consequently, the Center inspired many local and international visitors from different organizations engaged in SWM. The Municipality of Los Banos continuously receives requests and invitations to share the town's experience in transforming the dumpsite into an eco-waste processing center. These further inspired and improved the municipality's capability to operate and manage the
Center, and to receive grants and donations from various sources for its enhancement. The local government promotes the institutionalization of partnership
57 among municipalities through a Memorandum of Agreement for the implementation of the GO-FAR Project (Good Governance Practices-Facility for Adoption and
Replication). Likewise, collaboration with the Department of Education includes the incorporation of an environmental protection course in the curricula of elementary and high schools, and at the college level.
Collaborative linkages with foreign and local partners included the following:
The Australian Embassy Manila and Asian Terminals, Inc. for clean-up tools; HMR
Envirocycle, Philippines as buyer of electronic waste; Australian Agency for
International Development funding for the Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development—coordinated "Resource
Recovery Project in Selected Barangays"; Handy 4-in-l Company for discounted procurement of shredder chopper; Philippine Society for the Study of Nature with financial grant from the Australian Embassy Manila through the World Bank- organized New Initiatives Competition for "Organizing the Los Banos Solid Waste
Pickers Project".
Barriers Encountered in the Implementation of the SWM Program
The local government units recognized that SWM has to be people-oriented in order to succeed. No amount of technology is worthwhile if the citizens lack discipline and knowledge to guide them in social decision-making (Perez, 2006).
58 These were the core problems prior and during the implementation of the SWM program in Los Baiios.
It is evident that in any development undertaking, funding, resistance to change, and political criticisms are often present. The establishment of an Eco-
Waste Processing Center in Los Banos was not exempted from such problems as these took much time, attention, and effort especially during the course of the project. In the initial stage of the Center's operation, allegations of dumping waste into the creek which placed Laguna de Bay (a lake that surrounds the towns of Los
Banos and Calamba) at risk, became an issue raised by one of the Municipal
Councilors of Los Banos against the Mayor (Philippine Star, 2005). It was an alleged negligence of a Government Official, as public servant, over his territorial program i.e., highly relevant to SWM. Considering that the program operation was in its preliminary phase at that time, not all concerns of people can be readily responded to. However, political issues like the above case, cannot be avoided, which may create distrust of people to the local official, and eventually lessen their interest to participate in the implementation of the SWM-related programs. On the other hand, should action be immediately taken on the issue together with the affected groups/households in the community, it would not be a big problem.
Perez (2006) emphasized that local ecological governance, which relates the environment in all levels of decision-making and action through a democratic process, together with political will, transparency, participation, and accountability
59 will make a difference. The local government embarked on a massive education campaign, utilized science-based solutions, and created strong institutional arrangements to support and counter the public waste disposal problem.
Though funding is a perennial problem in most development program, it did not seriously impede the implementation of the SWM program. Without available land suitable for sanitary landfills, the only alternative was to convert the open dumpsite into an eco-friendly waste processing zone. The collection of necessary information to address problems like the lack of appropriate land to set up the landfills is crucial. With a limited budget but with a good pool of experts and strong political leadership by the Mayor, the SWM proposal was proven feasible. The initial funding for the Center's operation was solicited from private enterprises, commercial establishments, homeowners in subdivisions, and other voluntary donors to augment the 20% budget of the municipality's income for priority programs.
Other factors related to this were the need for flexibility in landscaping and designing, and the manufacture of facilities and equipment. The manufactured equipment in the Center utilized only local resources, and employed technologies provided by the Science Foundation.
Environmental and Socio-Economic Benefits
With the conversion and operation of the Eco-Waste Processing Center through community and stakeholders' involvement, waste collection was reduced to
60 about 70%, i.e., from 4 truckloads of mixed garbage to 1/4 truckload of biodegradables daily, and a reduction of 3-4 truckloads of non-biodegradables every
2 weeks. This was over the 25% annual waste minimization targeted by the municipality. This evidently diminished the amount of pollutants into the adjacent creek, waterways, and groundwater that run through Laguna de Bay. More importantly, garbage reduction helped decreased the negative effects of pollution on the health of the residents.
Economically, the former open dumpsite became an avenue for waste pickers to augment their income from recyclable waste. The development of appropriate, low-cost waste processing equipment using available scrap materials like grinder and shredder-chopper were utilized in public markets and in other areas outside the town. Fabricated chairs and tables from plastic waste materials were distributed to the day care centers. In addition, there was an observed increase in the use of
"bayong" (native woven bag) as alternative packaging for bread and other market products. This resulted in higher income for small-scale producers of this item.
The production of compost provided an additional source of valuable soil improvement that enhance soil fertility and other properties. This helped reduce the use of chemicals while increasing farm productivity.
The experience of Los Banos in SWM has contributed significantly in protecting the local natural resources and augmenting people's income in the community. Political initiatives boosted the image of Los Banos as science and
61 nature city, and motivated public participation and self-discipline among the people to keep the town clean and green. All these efforts made Los Banos a model municipality.
Lessons Learned
It is said, "creativity originates from one's need." This is true in the case of
Los Banos. A support team with common interests and concerns for the environment ensured the sustainability of the SWM program. The municipality was able to organize a small group of volunteers, with diverse field of expertise, as part of the technical working team, to assist in the formulation and implementation of plans and programs.
Nurturing community values and preserving the environment are motivating forces in the implementation and enforcement of SWM program. In order to encourage and sustain participation in the community-based program, one strategy is to organize the participants and stakeholders into sectoral groups, and maintain good governance with transparency and a sense of responsibility and accountability.
Social preparation towards developing discipline among the citizenry is essential.
The process may have been slow and tedious, but it brought about consistent interaction and sustainable positive values on waste management. Orienting people to become more aware and conscious of the proper management of solid waste as part of their everyday life, would really take time. Efforts to come up with an
62 innovative approach from the local government leaders together with other stakeholders to sustain community involvement are much needed. This is in consideration of the fact that population and in-migration increases as industrialization and economic development continuously grow. Such obviously add up to the volume of waste generated that has to be controlled and managed.
One of the strong pillars of the Waste Processing Center in Los Banos is the role of local government leaders, particularly the Municipal Mayor and the barangay officials. They serve as driving forces in realizing the vision of a clean and green town. Leadership by example ensures effective and efficient ecological governance.
In essence, the local government demonstrates a serious concern in addressing the garbage phenomenon with bold efforts like apprehending and penalizing citizens for non-compliance of municipal ordinances pertaining to SWM; forging strong partnership with stakeholders through participatory analysis and joint project implementation; convening consultations with business manufacturers and private enterprises to jointly find solutions to the mounting volume of waste; promoting research and development on processing biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste using available local materials; regularly updating constituents on new developments on the program; and most importantly, the hands-on training workshops and the organization of waste pickers (originally the scavengers) to promote IEC in the locality, and prove that garbage can be a resource - a source of income and livelihood.
63 The Mayor's initiative and strict policy of not allowing people to wear masks and/or cover their face while in the open dumpsite, is a simple but unique strategy.
This served as an "eye opener" for constituents to feel the reality of having mountainous garbage. Converting the open dumpsite into an eco-friendly waste processing zone made the municipal government easier for community to participate. The Mayor himself started to hold his office within the dumpsite from the initial stage of transforming it into a Waste Processing Zone until its full operation. The strategy of using recyclable materials in the manufacture of the necessary facilities and equipment of the Center became effective and efficient as funding has not been a big problem to this municipality.
Income generation and livelihood opportunities from the SWM programs implemented have great impact on community participation. The innovative approaches of the municipal government to demonstrate that there could be an income from garbage, such as the launching of competitions for the cleanest barangay, and the most attractive and meaningful lantern made of recyclable waste materials; organizing scavengers into an association of recyclers and traders with initial support from the municipal government for their "pedicabs", uniforms, etc.; showcasing of entrepreneurial and livelihood sources from garbage in the Waste
Processing Center; and the strict implementation of policies and ordinances without exception of penalties on violators; contributed to its success - making Los Banos, a model town for other communities.
64 CHAPTER IV
CASE STUDY 3: COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS IN SOLID WASTE SEGREGATION FOR A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT IN MASILI
"Unity and commitment among leaders and constituents are strong foundation toward participation in any development endeavor. These can only be realized when they have common understanding of the problems on hand and agreed to collaboratively act, knowing the benefits in the end. With cooperative, responsive, persevering and open-minded citizenry, progress has a space toward reality." -Mosqueda, 2004
A participatory approach towards a unified community objective of development is an ideal exercise for its constituents. This provides an opportunity for people to take part in the planning and decision making process in any community project or activity which affect them. The essence of shared responsibility and collaborative efforts among the constituents with their community leaders are vital factors. Unity and commitment are strong foundations toward participation in any development undertaking (Mosqueda, 2004). These can only be realized if there is a common understanding of the problem at hand among the citizenry, and if they agreed to act collaboratively. With their cooperation, responsiveness, perseverance and open-mindedness, a progressive community will become a reality.
It is within the above premise that this case study presents personal experiences working with the people in a specific community in coordination with its local government and other local leaders for a pilot project on SWM. This arose from my own experience of home gardening and composting utilizing recyclable
65 waste. It was also an avenue for me to directly observe and learn how to work with the community.
Gardening Utilizing Recyclables: My Own Home Project
I was a resident of Los Bafios, formerly a Senior Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development; and also a member of its SWM Brigade and Media Services until the year 2006. My exposure to proper SWM, witnessing the early years of operation of the Eco-Waste Processing Center of Los Bafios, stimulated me to adapt what I have learned, at home. 'Learning by doing' is one of the important values I can share with my family, being a mother and homekeeper. This, I can also contribute as an educator and a government servant to my neighbors and the community as a whole. I was encouraged to do home gardening in keeping with the legacy of my grandmother who taught us some of the indigenous methods of recycling and composting, which are now being revived in the country through the
SWM program.
In 2003, I started solid waste segregation and utilized recyclables (plastics, cans, used basins, styrofoam, scrap wood, bamboo and metal) for container gardening, given the small space at our front yard. With the help of my husband, we used the vacant lot beside our home owned by my brother, to plant bananas and
66 vegetables while keeping a space for composting. The land was 120 m2 sufficient for these purposes.
A number of vegetable crops such as lettuce, onions, eggplants, tomatos, and carrots were planted in used containers and hung on the fence. Styrofoam fruit boxes were used to grow seedlings, which were later transferred to bigger containers and hung or arranged in layers on bamboo or scrap metal stands. Food leftovers, dried leaves, animal manure, and trichoderma (a low-cost, naturally processed solution available at the University of the Philippines Los Banos for easy decomposition of biodegradables and odor reduction) were placed in covered composting pits, and watered every other day. For more than a month, we were able to get two sacks of compost which we used as fertilizer. A number of our neighbors and passers-by begun to ask about our home gardening, especially when we had our initial harvest. They developed an interest to learn and replicate the method in their own home yard. Photos of seedlings grown in recycled materials fertilized with compost in my home front yard are shown in Appendix 9.
Conceptualization and Proposition of the Project in Barangay Masili
It was in 2004 that I conceptualized the project on SWM as my fieldwork on
Environmental Communication at the Institute of Development Communication in the University of the Philippines Los Banos. I met with one of the Barangay
Councilors of Masili, who was also the Chair of the Urban Poor Livelihood and
67 Environment Committees in the community. I had learned from him that Masili received an award as the cleanest and most beautiful barangay in Calamba City from
2001 to 2003. The Barangay Council, during that time, envisioned to achieve the
"Hall of Fame Award" (i.e., 5 consecutive years of receiving the annual award) for
Masili and make it a model for other barangays. I also learned of the Council's plan to develop a proposal toward this end. Hence, I was able to discuss and propose to pilot test my own project in their community.
The Profile of Barangay Masili, Calamba, Laguna
Masili is one of the 54 barangays of Calamba City, Province of Laguna.
The barangay is located within the boundary of Calamba and Los Banos, comprising
6 "sitios" (sub-villages). The total land area is 32.1 hectares, divided into 26.1 hectares as residential, 4 hectares for commercial establishments and the remaining 2 hectares for quarrying. It has two soil types, loam covering 80% of the barangay and the rest as tidal fresh type, 20% (Barangay Profile, 2001). As of 2007, this coastal community had a population of 3,361 comprising 715 households. Fifty-two percent were female and 48% male (Report of the Barangay, 2007: p. 12). Figure 5 illustrates the vicinity map of Barangy Masili.
This barangay is generally characterized as a coastal community for which fishing from the Laguna de Bay is the main source of income. Fish cages were constructed in the lake for livelihood and subsistence. However, the increasing
68 Source: People's Institute for Local Governance Advocacy and Research, 2002.
Figure 5. Vicinity Map of Barangay Masili (a coastal community).
69 population, continuing in-migration, and existence of industrial establishments in
Masili, contributed greatly to water pollution, particularly in the Laguna Lake, due to improper waste disposal (People's Institute for Local Governance Advocacy and
Research, 2002).
Based on the project study of the Institute of Community Education of the
University of the Philippines Los Banos (Cruz et. al., 2003), the majority of the residents along the coastal areas are migrants. Many of them squat within 12.5 m distance from the lakeshore which is considered a danger zone because of the advent of high tides. Some residents constructed their houses in narrow vacant lots along the railroad owned by the Philippine National Railways. Such migration or residential squatting not only increased the population in the community, but consequently resulted in sanitation and waste disposal problems, due to the congestion of houses within the same territorial bounds, near the lake and railroad.
Among the six 'smW of Masili, sub-village 6 had the highest population living along the lakeshore. It experiences the most depressed situation, due to minimal access to water sources and lack of sanitation practices, which make the people susceptible to various illnesses.
Methodology Framework for Project Initiation in the Community
In early 2005, I started to coordinate my project through the Barangay
Councilor for Urban Poor Livelihood and Environment as my main contact person, I
70 met with the Barangay Council officials to discuss the activity process for the project. A visual inspection of the community and informal group meetings were undertaken where I got some basic information about the community, and a list of possible key informants and community-based groups/organizations to work with.
This information provided me with insights and a better understanding of the situation in the community.
Benchmark information was taken from the view of the constituents, with regard to current environment-related issues and problems. Project plans were identified and prioritized to address them, based on the urgency and importance as perceived by the people in the community. A very simple and easily understandable questionnaire in Tagalog was developed for respondents who were randomly selected from among the residents in sub-village 6. The age bracket of the respondents ranged from 21 to 65 years old with the assumption that these ages can better understand the importance of maintaining the safety of the environment for the benefit the community.
As a result of the actual survey conducted in sub-village 6, it was revealed that there were a number of issues and problems confronting the people in the community. These were reviewed by the people themselves to determine which among the array of problems at hand had to be addressed first, that would consequently solve other problems. A comprehensive analysis was done through a consultative process and action planning. The problems were ranked by the
71 respondents according to urgency and importance. Solid waste disposal and mismanaged waste were highlighted as the main issues. This coincided with conflicting culture of people who migrated in Masili from the different areas/communities with their own and different values and practices. This resulted in negligence and lack of cooperation in community activities which would benefit them. In addition, a related problem on people's lack of knowledge about policies and ordinances concerning the environment particularly on proper management of solid waste was identified.
Pilot Project Context: Community Consciousness in Solid Waste Segregation for a Cleaner Environment in Masili
Given the dilemma of the barangay on improper and mismanaged solid waste disposal, as attested by the people in the community of Masili, the pilot project on enhancing their consciousness in solid waste segregation for a cleaner environment was very timely. Though the project had a duration of only 6 months, it had been acceptable and gained interest to the community and the barangay leaders. The context of the project was initially presented to the Barangay Council. The components of the project were integrative in nature, aimed at long-term implementation and benefits to the community. The Council had the option to select which components they wanted to support and implement, in consideration of the
72 needs and interests of the community, which form part of the survey I conducted in the locality.
Vision and Objectives. The project envisioned to build a community with responsive and action-oriented constituents who work together in a sustainable manner toward a cleaner, greener, and productive environment for a healthy, pleasant, and model place to live. It generally aimed to promote consciousness and mobilization of people on environmental concern focusing on solid waste segregation. Its specific objectives were as follows:
a. To identify strategies that would enhance people's awareness of the
importance of SWM to them and the community as a whole;
b. To appreciate the value of the 4Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle, and resell)
principles in managing solid waste and put them into practice;
c. To encourage people in the community as local government partners in
strengthening programs on $WM;
d. To identify and collaborate with other stakeholders within and outside of the
community, i.e., government or NGO for possible productive projects and
income source from waste; and
e. To sustain the constituents' interest, initiative, and participation to
community programs on SWM, which consequently would benefit them and
the community in general.
73 Components of the Project. Following the municipal policies and barangay ordinances on SWM, the project's integrative components (Figure 6) focused on solid waste segregation. The project incorporated the 4Rs principles (originally 3Rs, however the proponent added another R for "resell" of recyclable waste) of SWM together with the following aspects: households' segregation of waste; community garbage collection, productive and/or income generation from waste -- composting, home/sub-village gardening or community nursery, sanitary landfill, small-scale enterprises from useful waste, and establishment of a centralized barangay junkshop by sub-village or at one strategic location accessible to the people in the community.
IEC Campaign. Based on the result of the survey, the respondents ranked
IEC as an effective strategy for them to increase their awareness and interest in any related program concerning SWM. In particular, the majority of them preferred access to simple, concise, and easily understandable reading materials, which they can post in their home. In line with this, I was able to design a sample three-fold flyer written in Tagalog that included illustrations on SWM, particularly the proper solid waste segregation and composting method at the household level. This flyer was presented to the Barangay Council for consideration and further improvements, and with their consent copies were disseminated to some members of the community to get feedback on the content.
According to the respondents, the flyer was generally acceptable and was a good source of information, which they can readily apply in their everyday life i.e.,
74 Community Consciousness and Participation