2023 Award "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

17th Edition

Phase 6 of 7

Publication Preparation 18/09/2023 - 06/11/2023

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City of Lipa: Implementation of Trash To Cash Program

Official proposal

08/06/2023 10:23

Accepted

As of now, the City Government of Lipa in the Philippines is serving 51 out of 72 barangays (neighborhoods or zones of the City) in waste collection. Most of the rural barangays have their own service vehicle that transfers their residual waste to the City Centralized MRF, while all urban barangays were being collected by our private hauler. The Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) of the city admitted that collection of waste must be done in all 72 barangays. However, proper segregation of waste must be strictly followed to decrease the volume of wastes generated on a daily basis. This will make the collection process lighter and more efficient.

Moreover, strict implementation of Executive Order No.32, otherwise known as No Segregation, No Collection, No Transfer Policy must take effect immediately. This order follows the provision of RA 9003, otherwise known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 in which the City is mandated to lessen the volume of waste by 5% every year.

Presently, the city government through the City ENRO has an allocated budget of Php 100,000,000.00 (1,662,828.20€) for FY 2024, specifically for the hauling of wastes. This much can only service 51 barangays out of 72.

Because of the serious problems from wastes, there is really a need for a more concrete program that will ensure promotion of the general welfare of the residents. Thus, the City Government conducted the Trash to Cash Project in all 72 barangays. Participants of the project, bring their marketable and cut residual wastes during weighing and buying activity where staff from City Mayor’s Office, City ENRO and City Cooperative were present in the barangay.

Prior to this project, the office of the City ENRO always received a complaint about open burning of waste that caused difficulty in breathing especially by the children. Illegal dumping is also rampant resulting in a high incidence of dengue problem.

Trash to Cash Project is an inter-agency project of the City Government of Lipa in which waste segregation at source is properly practiced in the barangays. In conceptualizing the design, various sectors involved in this project were properly consulted. Wastes at source will be sorted into Recyclable/Marketable, and Residual Waste.

All marketable wastes are accepted and given corresponding points based on the prevailing market value. Whatever accumulated points of the participants they can exchange it by goods and/or items, the same with all single use plastics, provided that it is cut or shredded into a size not bigger than 1 x 1 inch. Bigger points are given to residual waste or single use plastic in order to properly compensate the participants in cutting those.

Collected marketable wastes are brought to the recycling company or to the junk shop owner with the highest bid. All proceeds are remitted through the Trust fund. Meanwhile residual waste is brought to Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc.(RCBMI), a private company whom we had a Memorandum of Agreement with. All cut residual wastes brought to their office at Taysan Batangas correspond to a cement bag. As of now, we have 1,828 accumulated bags of cement. Based on the agreement, 1 ton of waste is equivalent to 10 bags of cement.

As of now, there are about 56,105 households benefited by this program of basic groceries and household necessities such as cellphone, laptop, printer for the use of online students (this was conceptualized during pandemic), gas stove, electric fan and among others.

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