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Solid waste management in Linamon, Lanao del Norte (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://aip.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1063/1.5019525
TITLE: Solid waste management in Linamon, Lanao del Norte
AUTHOR: Glaiza P. Paragoso, Cherine Mae A. Sapar, Joy R. Magsayo, Myrna E. Lahoylahoy, and Rica Mae B. Guarin
DATE PUBLISHED: January 5, 2018
KEY INFO: According to the survey, the respondents were very worried about waste management and eager to help with effective solid waste management. The researchers advise starting educational efforts for the general population to increase awareness of the natural environment. To increase knowledge and foster environmental attitudes among young people, environmental education should be incorporated into the school curriculum.

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Mindanao 'much better' in easing garbage woes - exec (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2018/06/mindanao-much-better-in-easing-garbage-woes-exec/

TITLE: Mindanao ‘much better’ in easing garbage woes — exec

AUTHOR: Bong S. Sarmiento

DATE PUBLISHED: June 27, 2018

KEY INFO: Solid waste management plans for the next 10 years have been developed in a large number of areas in Regions 11 (Southern Mindanao), 9 (Western Mindanao), and 12 (Soccsksargen).

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PASAY CITY (MindaNews/ 27 June) - Compliance to Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 is "much better" in Mindanao than in Luzon and the Visayas, the two other major island groupings in the Philippines, a senior government official said.

RA 9003 requires local government units to close open dumpsites by 2006 and replaced them with sanitary landfill facilities.

Engineer Eligio Ildefonso, chief of the Solid Waste Management Division of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), an agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said that 50 local government units across the nation allegedly violated the act.

More than 600 local executives, including mayors and vice mayors, were included in the complaint sheet filed at the Office of the Environmental Ombudsman, he said.

"We will file 160 additional cases against LGUs that continue to violate RA 9003," Ildefonso recently told journalists attending here a two-day media workshop on plastic pollution organized by Internews' Earth Journalism Network.

Ildefonso, who is also acting executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Council Secretariat, noted that Mindanao is faring well in the implementation of RA 9003 compared to Luzon and the Visayas.

Many areas in Regions 11 (Southern Mindanao), 9 (Western Mindanao) and 12 (Soccsksargen) have completed their 10-year solid waste management plans, he said.

In Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), however, at least 10 officials from Cagayan de Oro City, including Mayor Oscar Moreno, have been charged before the Ombudsman for allegedly violating the solid waste management act, according to Ildefonso.

Based on data provided by the EMB, Butuan City in Agusan del Norte, San Jose town in Dinagat Islands and Surigao City in Surigao del Norte violated some provisions of their environmental compliance certificates.

While "majority of Mindanao" is complying with RA 9003, Ildefonso said there's a need to put up more recycling facilities in the southern Philippines to better address the island's garbage problem.

Recycling facilities, especially for plastics, are mostly located in the National Capital Region, particularly in Valenzuela City,

The Philippines has 17 regions - eight in Luzon, three in the Visayas and six in Mindanao.

Ildefonso urged the public to reduce consumption of products contained in single-use plastics, and to reuse or recycle waste materials, to ease the country's mounting garbage problem.

Juvinia Serafin, EMB senior environment specialist, said that of the over 1,300 LGUs across the country, excluding the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, there are only 139 sanitary landfills servicing a total of 308 LGUs.

There are still 425 illegal disposal sites in the country, she added.

For this year, Serafin said the country is estimated to produce 43,684 tons of waste daily, 9,878 tons from Metro Manila where about 14 million people live.

Plastic wastes were estimated to comprise about 11 percent, or some 4,608 tons, of the national daily garbage generation in 2018, data showed.

Angelica Carballo Pago, Greenpeace Southeast Asia - Philippines media campaigner, called on companies to eliminate or reduce the production of single-use plastic products, particularly those packaged in sachets or small packets, in a bid to break free from plastic pollution.

"Such move must be part of their corporate social responsibility," she said, stressing these big companies headquartered in richer countries must be held accountable for producing single-use plastic products patronized mostly by low-income earners in developing countries. (Bong S. Sarmiento/MindaNews)

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Mindanao 'much better' in easing garbage woes - exec

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PASAY CITY (MindaNews/ 27 June) - Compliance to Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 is "much better" in Mindanao than in Luzon and the Visayas, the two other major island groupings in the Philippines, a senior government official said.

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Philippine coastal town leads war against plastic trash in Mindanao (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/philippine-coastal-town-leads-war-against-plastic-trash-in-mindanao/

TITLE: Philippine coastal town leads war against plastic trash in Mindanao

AUTHOR: Bong S. Sarmiento

DATE PUBLISHED: December 19, 2019

KEY INFO: In Mindanao, the town of San Isidro is involving the neighborhood by paying for plastic waste that has been collected, teaching young people about money, and turning the debris into "eco-bricks" for use in local building.

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Philippine coastal town leads war against plastic trash in Mindanao

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DAVAO, Philippines - On August 4, 2018, a fisherman found an endangered green turtle (Chelonia mydas) floating weakly in the Davao Gulf, a diverse marine ecosystem and rich fishing ground spanning 308,000 hectares in the southern Mindanao region. The fisherman brought the stranded juvenile female green turtle ashore where it breathed more easily after a plastic food [...]

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Davao City waste-to-energy project to fuel climate change, groups warn  ( RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA )

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URL: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/climate-and-environment/2022/05/15/2181288/davao-city-waste-energy-project-fuel-climate-change-groups-warn

TITLE: Davao City waste-to-energy project to fuel climate change, groups warn

AUTHOR: Geela Garcia

DATE PUBLISHED: May 15, 2022

KEY INFO:On a 10-hectare parcel of land in Biao Escuela, in the Tugbok District, the local administration of Davao City proposes to build a P2.5 billion waste-to-energy (WTE) facility. This project would be financed by a Japanese loan. Almost 100 rubbish pickers will be asked to leave as the landfill will be shut down and turned into a segregation area for the WTE facility.

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DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Hundreds of garbage flies infest homes, flying from waste to food, to children. The decaying stench of the dumpsite lingers as families eat. It was almost noon and waste pickers like Virgilio Romero*, 44, scavenge waste on the mountain of garbage under the scorching 51-degree celsius heat.

This is the everyday scene at the eleven-year-old seven-hectare sanitary landfill located in New Carmen, Tugbok - Davao City's only sanitary landfill.

According to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), the city generates around 900 tons of garbage per day, and waste pickers like Romero find a living by recycling the dumpsite's overflowing waste.

"This has been our family's livelihood since we moved to the city. It was what was expected as I didn't finish my studies, and there weren't any suitable jobs for me since I do not have a degree," said Romero.

Romero comes from a family of landless peasants in Mati, Davao Oriental, tilling farmland less than a hectare in size. He doesn't earn money from working in the field and is only paid for his labor with a portion of their produce.

At New Carmen, he takes home P200 daily for scavenging for plastics, cans, and sacks for 11 hours from 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Romero said that life as a waste picker hasn't been easy, but it's better compared to not earning anything when he was a farmer.

However, by 2023, the landfill where Romero resides and finds a living will be unserviceable as the rapid urbanization and poor waste segregation of Davao will drive it to its full capacity.

And as a response to the city's waste crisis, the local government of Davao City plans to construct a P2.5 billion waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, funded by a Japanese loan, on a 10-hectare property in Biao Escuela in the Tugbok District.

The landfill will be closed down and converted to a segregation area for the WTE facility, and over 100 waste pickers will be asked to leave.

"We don't know what will happen to us and our homes. They started measuring houses and promised to compensate us for P30,000. Until now, they don't have a concrete plan for us," said Romero.

Waste fueling the climate crisis
Mountain of trash at the New Carmen dumpsite
The local government eyes the WTE incinerator as a "long-term solution" to its solid waste problem. By burning household garbage, household wastes would replace coal and oil in producing energy.

Environmental groups like Greenpeace and Plastic-Free Pilipinas Project, however, oppose this technology because the burning of non-biodegradable wastes is no different from burning fossil fuels. Plastics, after all, are made from fossil fuels.

Marian Ledesma, a zero-waste campaigner of Greenpeace, said that the whole concept and scheme of burning waste for energy is unnecessarily costly and counter to the idea of reducing waste.

"It even encourages cities to produce more waste, because these incinerators would require a minimum amount on a daily and weekly basis to produce energy," she said.

Ledesma said that the WTE incinerator also goes against the country's Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, a law designed to promote zero-waste practices and waste segregation. On top of this, it is also prohibited under Section 20 of the Clean Air Act.

"WTE projects are an easy way out to address the waste crisis. And it attempts to address the waste problem without changing problematic parts of the system, beginning from plastic production," she said.

The European Commission has also been defunding WTE incinerator projects because of the realization that such facilities do not contribute to climate action and instead even worsen the climate crisis.

Ledesma said that perhaps the reason that groups and loans are pushing for WTE projects in developing countries like the Philippines is that this technology is already being questioned in developed nations.

"If you look at WTE, it's no longer included in EU sustainable economic activities. And because they're not able to market in their region, they push that narrative in poorer regions where laws and policies have not yet decided if the technology is eco-friendly. They are banking and trying to find a way of investment elsewhere," she explained.

She also flagged that most often these types of projects are also located in low-income areas where communities are more vulnerable to suffering from climate impacts as a result of dirty technology.

No proper consultation
Biao Escuela is an agricultural community surrounded by banana and coconut plantations. Residents rely on growing poultry and farming for their livelihood.
The WTE facility will be constructed at Biao Escuela, a 10-hectare of agricultural land south of Davao. The proposed site is only 2.2 kilometers away from the barangay's school and 550m from the planned relocation site.

Jill Banta, regional coordinator for Mindanao of the Plastic-Free Pilipinas Project said that the construction of the facility may also have long-term effects on residents of Biao Escuela and nearby communities.

"Persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins and furans are produced when plastics are burned. This can cause respiratory and reproductive diseases, birth defects, and cancer to the already marginalized low-income agricultural communities in Biao Escuela," said Banta.

"Beyond the community, its toxic by-products may reach our plates through the food chain because food and poultry products are sourced in Biao Escuela," she added.

Nerea Tagunon*, 60, is a sari-sari store owner at Biao Escuela. Her family moved to the community three years ago after having been displaced from their homes due to road widening in Catalunan Grande, Davao.

Tagunon and her neighbors weren't properly consulted about the project, and it's common for residents of Biao Escuela to make uninformed decisions because of the lack of consultation with the local government.

Residents think that the facility to be built is a plastic recycling factory, providing them employment. And while the WTE project may give them jobs, what residents do not know is that the facility can only employ people with engineering backgrounds.

"I think having the waste-to-energy incinerator project here would be helpful to our community because it will give us jobs," said Tagunon.

"From the demographics of their community, who are mostly agricultural workers, poultry growers, and laborers, the only job they could secure would be short-term construction jobs for the facility," said Banta.

Tagunon has lost hope to fight for their homes and their right to proper relocation.

"If it's going to smell, then what difference would it make? The river here stinks from poultry waste, so the smell of burning plastic is not going to matter. We'll just be a place where you could inhale all the chemicals and bad odor. Let the government do whatever they want, we can't do anything about it anymore," Tagunon said hopelessly.

The 60-year-old resident however admitted that if they were to be properly consulted, she would prefer for the project not to push through.

"Of course, nobody would want to be exposed to that hazard, nobody would want to inhale all that waste. But we have already been displaced in the past, and it's not like people like me still have a say," she said.

A few meters away from Tagunon lives Esmelita Roxas* 70, who, like Tagunon, knows little about the project.

"I'm worried about the effects of the incinerator, but our barangay captain said that the technology worked in Japan. We're just putting our trust in him," said Roxas.

"And even if we're against it, we can't do anything about it because we're only ordinary citizens. We'll be fighting against powerful people. At this point, we're only praying that if it pushes through, we won't be left behind."

Working zero-waste solutions

Ledesma and Banta said that the waste problem in Davao and the Philippines can be solved without burning plastics, especially when 50% of Davao's waste is biodegradable, and while 200 to 300 tons of its landfill waste is food waste.

Davao-based agronomist Peter Damary of Limadol introduced using black soldier flies to handle food waste by developing a natural insect protein for poultry that utilizes biodegradable waste from the landfill.

They collect a total of 400-700 kgs of food waste from restaurants and households at Barangay Mintal and Barangay Tacunan four times a week which they feed to the black soldier flies in their facility.

Black soldier flies consume food waste and produce a byproduct called frass which is useful as feeds for poultry or as organic fertilizers.

"At the start, it was very difficult, because people didn't really segregate their waste. They were used to dumping everything because no one was in charge of segregating, and collectors just combine already segregated waste with each other," said Damary.

From only collecting 60 kilograms twice a week in February 2021, Damary's small business now collects 150 kgs of food waste three or four times a week.

"We were able to address this problem by being strict about our collection. We took the time to educate households to segregate food waste, and eventually, they picked it up," he added.

Today Limadol collects food waste from over 200 households and five restaurants around Barangay Mintal and Barangay Tacunan.

Damary said that their system works because they are consistent. According to him, people needed consistency so that they would be driven to follow.

He recalled that in the beginning, some households would still mix non-biodegradable waste with biodegradables, and to show their commitment, they didn't pick up food waste that wasn't well segregated.

"They eventually followed, and they are now very enthusiastic about it," said Damary.

When food decomposes anaerobically in landfills, it creates methane, a major global warming gas.

According to the organization Extra Food, every 100 pounds of food waste in landfills produces 8.3 pounds of methane into the atmosphere. And in over 20 years, methane has 86 times the global warming effect of carbon dioxide.

"Methane from food waste contributes to the climate crisis, and if we have systems in place then this initiative will not only be beneficial for waste management but also climate mitigation," explained Damary

An odorless landfill powered by a bio activator is also segregating tons of biodegradable waste from industrial companies and restaurants an hour away from Barangay Mintal.

Aimea Lumpay, plant manager of Davao Thermo Biotech, said that their composting facility uses a patented YMO activator from Japan.

"We mix our YMO activator with collected biodegradable waste to treat them together. By doing this, we hasten the composting of biodegradable waste and eliminate hazardous waste such as leachate from contaminating the environment," explained Lumpay.

Biodegradables are converted into biofertilizers within 45 days, and the reaction of the food waste to the bio activator heats the mixture to a high temperature which destroys pathogenic bacteria, making their fertilizer organic, clean, and safe.

Currently, Davao Thermo Biotech collects industrial waste from several poultry farms and restaurants. They treat 50MT of industry and food waste daily.

They also have a few household subscribers, and the technology can also be adapted at a household level, but the problem is not a lot of homes are willing to pay to have their garbage collected and treated so they don't end up in landfills.

"As of now, we have 55 households subscribed to our waste management facility. We pick up their biodegradable waste for them, and in exchange, we give them one of our products which they can use for their gardens at home," said Lumpay.

Banta said that the projects of Limadol and Davao Thermo Biotech prove that there are already working zero-waste solutions that are less harmful to the environment being implemented.

"Instead of using people's money to fund environmentally destructive projects, the government should instead invest in solutions that are already in place," said Banta.

"The projects of Limadol and Davao Thermo Biotech need not have huge large facilities, and if these are implemented on a large scale, then there would not even be a need to construct WTE facilities," added Banta.

The Plastic-Free Pilipinas Project regional coordinator also emphasized that while these initiatives work for biodegradable wastes, the problem of non-biodegradable waste can be addressed by strict implementation of banning single-use plastics and pressuring corporations to replace their packaging.

Corporations should invest in solutions that are centered on reuse-based packaging such as refillable. They can show this by not relying on false "green" solutions but committing to establishing sustainable systems.

Banta also said that before the sachet economy reached the Philippines, Filipino communities already had a culture of refilling in sari-sari stores, but because of the shift in packaging by fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, this changed.

"Didn't we have that deposit system for carbonated drinks in glass bottles before? It was even practiced in far-flung rural communities. We can enforce zero-waste solutions, but corporations and lawmakers lack the will," said Banta.

Seventy-two percent of the 2022 national budget for solid waste management will be dedicated to the WTE of Davao.

"That's too much of a budget for a regional project that is environmentally destructive. Imagine if we reallocate our budget and invest in low-cost zero-waste solutions that are already in place," said Banta.

She also stressed that a large part of the money could have also been used for training waste workers in zero-waste projects, giving them the proper solid waste management training, and increasing their salaries and benefits.

"Waste management plays a large role in the climate crisis because the life cycle of a product or waste is already producing carbon emissions, which is why just energy transition also means hiring more waste workers, integrating waste workers in zero-waste projects, and institutionalizing their work," said Banta.

Role of waste pickers in the climate crisis

Back in New Carmen, Romero said that while he isn't familiar with climate change, he's sure that their work as waste pickers contributes to addressing the waste problem.

"I'm not sure about numbers, but perhaps, waste pickers like me address climate change by 50% because we recycle everything that we could find," said Romero.

Beyond the destructive environmental repercussions of the WTE project, Banta and Ledesma are also concerned about the consequences to workers in the formal and informal waste industry.

"We already have people doing the waste picking and the recycling, and there are also groups who upcycle, recycle, and compost. What will happen to them when this project is given a go signal?" asked Banta.

Romero said that instead of removing them from their livelihood, the local government can show their appreciation by providing them the support that they need to continue doing their livelihood.

"We aren't protected from our jobs, we go to work without proper equipment, we even step our bare feet on broken glass just so we could find a living, but still we can recycle a relevant amount of waste without much help," he said.

"What we need is an aid in terms of food, shelter, and even medicine because we earn so little, so that we may continue working," added Romero.

Romero recalled that their measly income isn't even enough for his family to afford electricity. But at least he finds disposed candles in the landfill which they recycle and lights at night.

"Sometimes we even find broken solar panels in the landfill. We fix them, and they give our homes power and electricity," said Romero.

Ledesma said that waste pickers are knowledgeable of the integrity of materials found in disposal sites, that's why they should play a significant role in redesigning systems.

"Without us, nobody would dare touch our wastes. And if we're displaced of our livelihood, you're also removing hands directly reversing climate change," said Romero.
*Names were changed to protect identities
This story was supported by Climate Tracker and FES Philippines

Geela Garcia is a freelance multimedia journalist and peasant advocate based in Manila.

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Davao City waste-to-energy project to fuel climate change, groups warn

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Davao City generates around 900 tons of garbage per day, and waste pickers like Romero find a living by recycling the dumpsite's overflowing waste.

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Solid Waste Management Practices (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/EMB.R10/photos/a.1006475166130341/3950960945015067/?type=3

TITLE: Solid Waste Management Practices

AUTHOR: Engineer Celso C. Layos

DATE PUBLISHED: July 22, 2021

KEY INFO: During the Covid 19 pandemic, LGU Iligan City Solid Waste Management enforces the implementation of solid waste management practices to ensure the protection of public health and the environment through an IEC (Information Education Communication) campaign, proper waste segregation, backyard composting and recycling encouragement, usage of recyclables and compost products to be sold, and suggested sanitary landfill. In hopes of achieving a greener city by promoting an effective ecological solid waste management program that benefits the environment.

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EMB Northern Mindanao (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/EMB.R10/posts/pfbid0T5YvPjP1cjC1Q5xb56ar4MGBepfvqLTF7M6dpA5wQDAq6x2v5aFnpRVfNuYmgLTTl

TITLE: Plogging As A Kick-off To A Zero Waste Lifestyle

AUTHOR: EMB Northern Mindanao

DATE PUBLISHED: January 30, 2023

KEY INFO: In honor of the ZERO WASTE MONTH in 2023, Environmental Management Bureau-10 (EMB-10) organized a plogging activity. "Plogging" refers to picking up trash while jogging or strolling through an area.

The goal of the activity is to increase public knowledge of ecological solid waste management in view of the recent enactment of the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, which institutionalizes the extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging waste, amends Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and mandates major corporations to develop and execute environmentally friendly waste management techniques.

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𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐊𝐈𝐂𝐊-𝐎𝐅𝐅 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄

On January 27, 2023, the Environmental Management Bureau-10 (EMB-10) engaged in a plogging exercise in celebration of the 2023 ZERO WASTE MONTH. The...

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Producing your own organic fertilizer (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE S. HINAY)

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URL: https://edgedavao.net/agri-trends/2017/07/10/producing-organic-fertilizer/

TITLE: Producing your own organic fertilizer

AUTHOR: Henry D. Tacio

DATE PUBLISHED: July 10, 2017

KEY INFO: Organic farming has been proposed as a solution to the problem of land degradation. Environment-friendly, natural, free of pesticides and other chemicals, sustainable, regenerative, and healthy are some of the words used to describe this farming method that has recently piqued the interest of many countries around the world.

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Land degradation in the country affects about one-third of the population, according to Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change. More than 33 million Filipinos are affected by it, she said, adding that it likely contributes to widespread and severe poverty in the rural areas.

Land degradation can be seen in the form of soil erosion. The Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute considers soil erosion as "a silent crisis." While we are worried about other countries conquering our land, our silent enemy keeps on encroaching our lands.

"(Soil erosion) is a slow creeping enemy that soon possesses the land," commented Harold R. Watson, the 1985 Ramon Magsaysay awardee for peace and international understanding and former director of Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC).

Recent studies show soil erosion affects 63%-76% of the country's total land area of 30 million hectares. This is particularly true in the uplands, where 74% of the area is cultivated for subsistence farming.

"Available estimates indicate that the total degraded area in the Philippines is around 11.45 million hectares in the uplands or 38% of the country's land territory, affecting around 33 million Filipinos," wrote Dieldre S. Harder, a researcher with the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia (EEPSEA).

In terms of severity, 5.2 million hectares and 8.5 million hectares of the country's total arable lands are severely eroded and moderately eroded, respectively, according to the report.

In 1989, the World Bank estimated the annual value of on-site fertility losses due to unsustainable upland agriculture in the country to be around US$100 million - that equal to one percent of Philippine gross domestic product per year.

Organic farming has been cited as one possible solution of the problem of land degradation.
Environment-friendly, natural, not using pesticides and other chemicals, sustainable, regenerative, and healthy - these are the words use to describe this method of farming which has recently captured the attention of many countries around the world.

Thanks to Republic Act 10068, organic farming is now being promoted in the country. More popularly known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, the law is a state policy that promotes, propagates, and further develops the practice of organic farming in the country.

In a recent paper, Lucille Elna Parreno-de Guzman gives us further information about organic agriculture: "Organic agriculture is an agricultural production system that avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, growth regulators, pesticides, livestock feed additives, and genetically modified organisms and products."

It has almost been seven years now since RA 10068 has been signed but still not too many farmers are adopting the technology. What must be the reasons?

To find out, Parreno-de Guzman conducted a study in selected towns in Laguna and in La Trinidad, Benguet, where farmers are adopting organic agriculture. Chemical pollution of soil and water bodies is the main land degradation issue in the municipalities where the study was done. "This is mainly due to the continuous and indiscriminate use of chemical inputs in farming," Parreno-de Guzman wrote.

Agricultural savants believe that continued use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides causes organisms present in the soil to die. Without soil organisms, chemically saturated land will eventually lose its capacity to nourish healthy and fruitful crops, until finally the soil "dies." With "dead" soil, how can farmers grow crops?

"There are many ways of conserving the soil to maintain its productivity and one of the most efficient measures is by adding organic matter," notes the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

"Organic fertilizers rejuvenate and improve soil properties for better crop production," PCAARRD explains. "They contain beneficial microorganisms and humus, that when applied, will improve the soil's physical, chemical and biological properties."

In cooperation with Benguet State University, the PCAARRD came up with easy-to-read primer on producing organic fertilizer right in the farm. "Producing organic fertilizers at the farm will ensure the addition of humus to the soil for a more efficient crop production," it says.

Organic fertilizer is defined as: "any product in solid or liquid form, of plant (except by-products from petroleum industries) or animal origin that has undergone substantial decomposition. It can supply available nutrients to plants with a total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) of 5-7%. This may be enriched by microbial inoculants and natural-occurring minerals."

Here are the steps in producing your own organic fertilizer, according to Organic Fertilizer Production:

1. Collect raw materials: dried chicken manure, sawdust or coco sawdust, wild sunflower, and Trichoderma.

Dried chicken manure is the preferred component over fresh chicken manure because the latter contains contaminants and harmful microorganisms and emits foul odor. Both sawdust and coco sawdust are waste materials generated by the lumber industry; be sure not to use those chemically-treated.

Wildflower, on the other hand, is rich in nitrogen. Adding it to the pile increases nitrogen content of the organic fertilizer. Trichoderma, meanwhile, is a fungus found to be an efficient decomposer because it enhances the composting process.

2. Shred the raw materials. This is done to physically reduce the size of raw materials for faster decomposition.

Shred the raw materials to 1-inch diameter or smaller, specifically those tough and fibrous plant tissues. Shred the wild sunflower stems up to 2-3 centimeters to provide a greater surface area for decomposition.

To enhance decomposition, pulverize the chicken manure and sawdust, particularly those that turned into lumps.

3. Pile the shredded raw materials. Pile the raw materials layer by layer. Prepare a maximum of six layers (or 1.5-meter-thick) of materials. Each layer is about 1-foot thick. The ratio of raw materials is 50% dried chicken manure, 25% sawdust or coco sawdust, and 25% wild sunflower.

A layer of materials consists of two parts manure, one part sawdust or coco sawdust, and one part wild sunflower, which are spread on top of each other. Trichoderma is usually spread as a thin layer.

Stack the layers until the pile reaches 1.5 meters high. Apply water to each layer until it is sufficiently moist. There is no need to put ash/lime or bamboo breathers.

Monitor the temperature of the pile with a thermometers (0⁰-200⁰C, with a long probe). Maintain the temperature between 40⁰C and 60⁰C for three weeks. This can be done by regularly mixing the pile.

4. Water the pile. Water each layer of raw materials after piling. Thereafter, water the pile regularly, at least 2-3 times a week. The material must be moist. But avoid it becoming soggy or compacted. Moisture content is best between 40% and 60%.

Avoid adding too much water into the pile to prevent anaerobic decomposition. Foul odors are from anaerobic activity and indicate lack of oxygen. If the pile becomes too wet, increase turning frequency and/or add fibrous materials to the pile in order to reduce the moisture content and increase oxygen.

5. Mix the compost pile. Turn the compost pile from top to bottom after two weeks from piling. Repeat this every week thereafter until the pile has fully decomposed. Mix the pile to help break down tough and fibrous plant materials efficiently. By doing this, moisture and organisms that help breakdown the raw materials are distributed evenly in the composting materials.

If fungus activator such as Trichoderma is applied, the pile takes 1-2 months to decompose. However, the decomposition process without fungus activator takes 2-3 months.

6. Cover with polyethylene plastic. Cover the pile with black polyethylene plastic sheets to control the temperature and maintain the required heat.

7. Add carbonized rice hull. Add about 2 kilograms of carbonized rice hull to 48 kilograms of organic fertilizer to prevent the occurrence and proliferation of harmful fungi in the organic fertilizer.

8. Air-dry the organic fertilizer. The standard moisture content of the organic fertilizer for the market is 30%. Thus, air-drying is necessary to attain this desired moisture.

9. Sieve/refine the organic fertilizer. When lumps have formed during composting, pulverize them through the same shredder used in cutting raw materials. Use a 2-mm mesh sieve to produce a uniformly-sized and finer organic fertilizer.

10. Bag the organic fertilizer. Pack the sieved/refined organic fertilizer in 1-kilogram, 35-kilogram, and 50-kilogram bags or sacks.

According to the primer, one cycle of organic fertilizer production takes 30-45 days. In one year, eight production cycles are possible.

At the end of the eighth cycle, a net income of P37,600 to P57,000 can be realized. In other areas, a good quality organic fertilizer can be sold from P300 to P400 per bag.

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Land degradation in the country affects about one-third of the population, according to Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change. More than 33 million Filipinos are affected by it, she said, adding that it likely contributes to widespread and severe poverty in the rural areas.

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Cagayan de Oro spearheads trash-to-cash program in Mindanao using digital tech - BusinessWorld Online (RESEARCHED BY: HEAVEN TIGBAO)

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URL: https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2021/09/15/396757/cagayan-de-oro-spearheads-trash-to-cash-program-in-mindanao-using-digital-tech/

TITLE: Cagayan de Oro spearheads trash-to-cash program in Mindanao using digital tech

AUTHOR: Business World

DATE PUBLISHED: September 15, 2021

KEY INFO: A trash-to-cash initiative in Cagayan de Oro City that employs an e-wallet for the purchase points gained from recycling materials was officially inaugurated this week. The local government in Mindanao, in the country's south, is the first to use the bXTRA software developed by Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc. (BEST), a division of publicly traded company IPM Holdings, Inc.

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CAGAYAN de Oro City formally launched this week a trash-to-cash program that uses an e-wallet for the purchase points that can be earned from turning over recyclable materials.

The local government, through its City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office, is the first in Mindanao in the country's south to tap the bXTRA app of Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc. (BEST), a unit of listed firm IPM Holdings, Inc.

In a statement, the city government said the Trash to CashBack Program is intended to encourage residents and business establishments to segregate their waste at source using an incentive scheme.

The bXTRA points can be used to purchase items in partner shops such as supermarkets.

The recycling program is also seen to lessen the trash being collected and dumped at the city's sanitary landfill, according to Armen A. Cuenca, the city's environment office head.

Mr. Cuenca called on locals to make segregation a habit to help protect the environment.

The city started enforcing a 'no segregation, no collection' policy in 2019.

The recyclable materials - paper and cardboard; plastic; tin, aluminum, and other metal products - can be brought at the initial designated drop-off point in Gaston Park.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' capital region office has also recently partnered with BEST. - MSJ

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Cagayan de Oro spearheads trash-to-cash program in Mindanao using digital tech - BusinessWorld Online

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CAGAYAN de Oro City formally launched this week a trash-to-cash program that uses an e-wallet for the purchase points that can be earned from turning over recyclable materials. The local government, through its City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office, is the first in Mindanao in the country's south to tap the bXTRA app of Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies, Inc.

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Compost pile in the corner can keep pesky flies away (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE S. HINAY)

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URL: https://www.themindanaojournal.com/compost-pile-in-the-corner-can-keep-pesky-flies-away-green-thumb-by-jimmy-k-laking/

TITLE: Compost pile in the corner can keep pesky flies away (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE S. HINAY)

AUTHOR: Jimmy K. Laking

DATE PUBLISHED: Jun 18, 2022

KEY INFO: Jimmy K. Laking shared his experience of practicing composting and making a compost pile in his home.

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In gardening as in the gym, it always pays to observe.

One observation I had 19 years ago has since remained part of my household practice. This practice has been also providing me time and again a source of sustainable compost for my plants.

This is the practice of segregating the biodegradable household waste and stacking this in an enclosure where other bios (leaves, old branches, weeds, grasses, animal manure) from outside the household are deposited.

But a simple bio pile in the corner along the fence will do as I saw almost two decades back in the backyard of the late Baguio City Mayor Braulio Yaranon.

He said it was a nice way to manage household bios and considering that they decompose after some time, they become food to nearby plants. What he did not say is that this practice kept the flies away from his kitchen, a problem that is prevalent in a city (as in other cities) where waste management leaves much to be desired to put it mildly. It is also a city where flies are a pestering presence every which you go.

Yaranon's simple remedy can be adopted in both urban and rural setting. You can try it at home and see for yourself how it works.

But if you live in an area where you can do gardening on the sides, try the eco-composting receptacle that a former OFW, Fred Fangonon has been advocating for decades now.

The receptacle is actually a fenced off (with bamboo slats) enclosure, with a width of one meter and a length that may extend from three meters upwards.

This system, he says, allows for aeration and prevents garbage from producing methane, hence it is a system that can help alleviate global warming and climate change. In contrast, the so-called sanitary landfill is outdated by today's standards. It is also notorious for producing methane and toxic liquids (leachate) that harm the environment.

His advice is for all sorts of bios to be deposited inside this enclosure, to be covered with leaves and grasses. The fence is meant to prevent animals from making a mess of the bios.

An enclosure with a diameter of 1meter x 3 meters can accommodate all the bios that a pair of households can produce in six months or beyond.

Without any interference, you will be surprised how this dump will attract all kinds of underground denizens in turning the pile into compost. These include indigenous earthworms, centipedes, microorganisms and flies.

And over the months that the process of composting is taking place, your kitchen is rarely bothered by flies. This is because the flies in the vicinity will be attracted by the limitless bios inside the enclosure.

Contrary to fears, the enclosure will not emit stinking smell as you would discover near so-called sanitary landfills.

As I myself discovered in the many years since I adopted this system, the stink is possible only when the bios are not properly segregated from plastics or cellophanes, which prevents them from decomposing.

For so long as they are trapped in plastics or cellophanes, they will continue to stink. And if piled in large amounts as in a landfill, they are certain to produce toxic gasses and leachate hence adding up global warming. They will also continue to attract flies as you would surely find near piggery farms where animal waste is not managed properly (that is to say, when waste is merely washed away and not deposited in a composting enclosure). (Jimmy K. Laking/ photo by:https://helpmecompost.com)

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Compost pile in the corner can keep pesky flies away (Green thumb by Jimmy K. Laking)

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In gardening as in the gym, it always pays to observe. One observation I had 19 years ago has since remained part of my household practice. This practice has been also providing me time and again a source of sustainable compost for my plants.

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Plastic Smart Cities Video Series: Davao City (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://youtu.be/6OUN1XA7pIc

TITLE: Plastic Smart Cities Video Series: Davao City

AUTHOR: WWF-Philippines

DATE PUBLISHED: January 22, 2022

KEY INFO: Kalambuan Women's Association is a women's group established in Davao City that produces products out of plastic. They purchase waste plastic from various businesses and transform it into valuable items like bags and wallets. Additionally, they recycle old magazines into beads that are then used to make rosaries, mask lanyards, and other accessories.

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Plastic Smart Cities Video Series: Davao City

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Composting, A Step to a Zero-Waste Home Living (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/EMB.R10/posts/pfbid021LY9jNDimUDF1cw4zsRLAmzVZpzMp3sopWjkJJ1xJbkKTk6geS7SxLfaaKDSLfeEl

TITLE: Composting, A Step to a Zero-Waste Home Living

AUTHOR: EMB Northern Mindanao

DATE PUBLISHED: January 31, 2023

KEY INFO: Composting can be done in as many different ways as there are gardeners, but the method described in this infographic is the most likely to be successful for everyone because it makes use of a compost container that can also be modified for use with other types of bins.

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Think Zero Waste! (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.facebook.com/EMB.R10/posts/pfbid02ReDpyQLcAJ6fFVYMinfa4c4Pr47KSTKQpXgwVZbzQkg14o1ijM8PSdsuHffVd2hCl

TITLE: Think Zero Waste! (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

AUTHOR: EMB Northern Mindanao

DATE PUBLISHED: January 31, 2023

KEY INFO: Adopting zero waste has the potential to extend the time that many items can be repurposed or recycled, conserve scarce resources, reduce the amount of waste transferred to landfills, and reduce the amount of carbon emissions discharged into our environment.

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MAY PERA SA BASURA | RECYCLING |VICZONS vlog (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE HINAY)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo9m4tNnxe4

TITLE: MAY PERA SA BASURA | RECYCLING |VICZONS vlog

AUTHOR: VICZONS Vlog

DATE PUBLISHED: April 19, 2022

KEY INFO: This vlog shows that selling recyclable products to shops that recycle and make new products is preferable to throwing them away.

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MAY PERA SA BASURA | RECYCLING |VICZONS vlog

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One Mindanao: Trash to Craft (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE HINAY)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UQdfHZNWI

TITLE: One Mindanao: Trash to Craft

AUTHOR: GMA Regional TV

DATE PUBLISHED: June 4, 2021

KEY INFO: A group of women discovered an alternative source of income by creating products from recycled materials.

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[FULL WEBINAR] The decade of sustainability: How can the Philippines end its plastic crisis? (RESEARCHED BY: GEILA ANNA BRIENNE HINAY)

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URL: https://youtu.be/rXP51FuZfZ0

TITLE: [FULL WEBINAR] The decade of sustainability: How can the Philippines end its plastic crisis?

AUTHOR: Rappler

DATE PUBLISHED: December 4, 2020

KEY INFO: In order to address the roles of each sector in trash reduction and management, experts, advocates, and stakeholders participate in the debate chaired by Rappler's Pia Ranada. Participants in the debate, which is being facilitated by Pia Ranada of Rappler, will evaluate the roles that various sectors should play in waste management and reduction.

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[FULL WEBINAR] The decade of sustainability: How can the Philippines end its plastic crisis?

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HOW DAVAO CITY FACES ITS GARBAGE CONCERN? (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y40EIe0vkR0

TITLE: HOW DAVAO CITY FACES ITS GARBAGE CONCERN?

AUTHOR: Sun Star Davao Digital

DATE PUBLISHED: September 24, 2021

KEY INFO: Davao City has increased its garbage production to 600–650 tons per day since March 2020. The Davao City administration and private businesses have developed alternative methods for managing the city's garbage in response to the worsening problem with waste disposal. These alternatives include recycling single-use plastics into chairs, tables, and other materials.

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HOW DAVAO CITY FACES ITS GARBAGE CONCERN?

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One Mindanao: Waste Museum Binuksan sa Barangay Lapu-lapu, Agdao, Davao City (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv8TLJN0rWs

TITLE: One Mindanao: Waste Museum Binuksan sa Barangay Lapu-lapu, Agdao, Davao City

AUTHOR: GMA Regional TV

DATE PUBLISHED: May 15, 2019

KEY INFO: Citizens of Barangay Lapu-Lapu, Agdao District, Davao City, have formed a group known as GARBAGE, or Group of Advocates on Recycling for Better and Greater Environment.

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One Mindanao: Waste Museum Binuksan sa Barangay Lapu-lapu, Agdao, Davao City

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Philippine Action Plan For Sustainable Consumption And Production (Pap4scp) (RESEARCHED BY: DUSTIN JOSH C. VALLARES)

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URL:https://sdg.neda.gov.ph/philippine-action-plan-for-sustainable-consumption-and-production-pap4scp/

TITLE: Philippine Action Plan For Sustainable Consumption And Production (PAP4SCP)

AUTHOR: Sds Admin

DATE PUBLISHED: January 29, 2020

KEY INFO: The PAP4SCP will assist the country to achieve Ambisyon Natin 2040 so that the policies and initiatives put in place would guarantee that Filipinos, both in the current and future generations, experience a "matatag (strongly rooted), maginhawa (comfortable), and panatag na buhay (secure life)." This will become a reality when more Filipinos adopt sustainable and climate-smart activities and lifestyles and increase their use of green products and services.

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Waste Management: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L11_IyyR3mM

TITLE: Waste Management: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

AUTHOR: Jules Alvarado, Mariel Barnachea, Alliza Cajucom, and Patrise Alarcon

DATE PUBLISHED: October 7, 2019

KEY INFO: A man's trash is another man's treasure. Always be mindful of your waste and dispose of it properly. Waste management has the potential to save lives.

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Waste Management: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT OF STO.TOMAS DAVAO DEL NORTE (ECOMERCIAL) (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grSZlIZ_Cso

TITLE: Solid Waste Management Of Sto.Tomas Davao del Norte (Ecomercial)

AUTHOR: Vergil Relator

DATE PUBLISHED: May 2, 2013

KEY INFO: In Sto.Tomas Davao del Norte, trash is a source of income of the residents. Trash is recycled into hollow blocks, concrete paving blocks, toilet bowls, concrete tiles, ornamentals, fermented plant juice, indigenous microorganisms, and more.

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SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT OF STO.TOMAS DAVAO DEL NORTE (ECOMERCIAL)

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The arguments against Waste to Energy: Interview with No Burn Pilipinas and IDIS (RESEARCHED BY: MITCHELL ANGELO M. TUBALLA)

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URL: https://open.spotify.com/episode/43XHmltOIkAK8bxm5D5nlJ

TITLE: The arguments against Waste to Energy: Interview with No Burn Pilipinas and IDIS.

AUTHOR: Yas D. Ocampo

DATE PUBLISHED: March 2022

KEY INFO: Environmentalists are not persuaded that Davao City's plan to construct a waste-to-energy plant should be followed. Representatives from Interfacing Development Interventions and No Burn Philippines claim that there are already laws in place to ensure that garbage is separated at the source, that organic waste is composted at home, and that recyclables are recycled instead of ending up in the city's garbage piles.

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The arguments against Waste to Energy: Interview with No Burn Pilipinas and IDIS

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Listen to this episode from The MindaNews Podcast on Spotify. This edition is brought to you in partnership with the No Burn Pilipinas campaign of the Eco-Waste Coalition, under the Break Free from Plastic project. Davao City is pursuing a plan to build a waste to energy plant, and environmentalists are not convinced this should be the way to go.

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ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGROM  | Malalag Davao Del Sur | Wa Chang (RESEARCHED BY: DENISE ASTILLA)

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URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrR1hQJDuOw

TITLE: ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM | Malalag Davao Del Sur | Wa Chang

AUTHOR: Wa Chang

DATE PUBLISHED: August 29, 2020

KEY INFO: Wa Chang showed how to properly execute solid waste management. You must segregate, which means separating recyclable, biodegradable, residual, and special waste.

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ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGROM  | Malalag Davao Del Sur | Wa Chang