Barangay Tisa in Cebu City recreates the nativity scene using recycled sacks, woodcraft, wine bottles, plastic containers and tires. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Next to their giant Christmas tree of stacked chairs and used tires, barangay Tisa mounted another display of recycled Christmas symbols.
Instead of figurines, a Nativity scene or belen is made of rice sacks, woodcraft, tires, wine and plastic water bottles.
Like the tree, the eco-friendly “belen” was Tisa barangay chairman Philip Zafra’s idea of encouraging people to “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle.”
The Holy Family and the Three Kings are made of coconut husk.
The infant Jesus lays down in a manger of plastic strips cut from bottles as hay and used tires.
After the Misa de Gallo, people flock to the site to take photos.
It took more than one month to assemble the entire belen unlike their Christmas tree which only took one week to finish.
“Sadya na ang barangay. Daghan nagpa-picture (the barangay became lively. Many want to take photos),” said Zafra.
The craftsmanship also shows in a chandelier made of wine or liquor bottles cut in half, that lights up at night.
“By using recycled materials we save money. I got tired of buying Christmas decor in department stores.
So by putting more emphasis on our campaign for waste segregation, we also save our budget and encourage creativity among my constituents,” he said.