Undersecretary Benny Antiporda of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) talks to some local executives about measures to address garbage problems in their respective areas. CDND PHOTO / Irene Sino Cruz
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas should implement garbage segregation and composting to reduce residual wastes that will be dumped at sanitary landfills.
Undersecretary Benny Antiporda of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued this call at the sidelines of the ongoing 4th Central Visayas Solid Waste Management Summit that was kicked off on Wednesday, August 14, at the Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center.
The undersecretary explained that composting of organic wastes could be done by residents or companies in their areas.
Antiporda said that in the absence of a composting area, the LGUs could identify a common composting area/
He also stressed the importance of waste segregation at the source.
“If we have segregation at source, definitely malaking bawas na ‘yan sa solid wastes natin [that’s a huge reduction of our solid wastes], [in]which is 30 to 40 percent are recyclables. We need the help of LGUs on this,” Antiporda said.
If the LGU implements both composting and segregation at the source, Antiporda said that “eventually what will end at the landfill will be about 20 to 30 percent.”
Antiporda, who is undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Unit Concerns, together with DENR Central Visayas and local government executives officially opened the 4th Central Visayas Solid Waste Management Summit on Wednesday, August 14.
The summit, which will run until August 16, carries the theme “Beat Air Pollution: Managing Solid Waste towards a Pollution-Free Environment.”
The summit aims to showcase the solid waste management best practices of LGUs. The summit will also recognize the best eco-friendly schools in the Central Visayas region.
Central Visayas or Region 7 covers the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
The summit also features an exhibit of various eco-friendly products by partner industries and upcycled products such as pillows and bags made out of trash such as shredded plastic bags, sacks, food packaging and wrappers.
These products are made by beneficiaries of the respective LGUs as part of their livelihood programs.
USEC Antiporda, in his message during the opening program, expressed his gratitude to the LGUs for the strong partnership with the DENR Central Visayas (DENR-7).
He assured them that DENR will support the LGU initiatives to promote effective and efficient solid waste management in the local level. / celr