CASE 4

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Read A New Life in Barangay Bagumbuhay, Backgound and Problem. 2. Discuss the answers to the questions in the worksheet with your group mates. 3. Prepare for an oral presentation of your group discussion.

A NEW LIFE IN BARANGAY BAGUMBUHAY

Fig. 1. Barangay Captain Raulito Datiles, leader of Barangay Bagumbuhay Source: ABC Radio National. (2005). Surviving smokey mountain. A World Without Waste. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/worldwaste/images/philippines/30.jpg

Barangay Bagumbuhay in Project 4, Quezon City truly lived up to its name. It gave itself a new life by transforming itself from a barangay with one of the worst garbage problems in the area into one of the cleanest barangays. In 1997, Raulito Datiles assumed office as the barangay captain of Bagumbuhay Fig. 1). He immediately took a survey among the residents asking them what problems they wanted to be addressed. The responses revealed that the residents were most concerned about their garbage.

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Barangay Bagumbuhay consists of about 1,200 households with a population of about 7,400. The barangay generates about 407 kg of waste daily, and about 204 kg of this is food waste. It has 23 streets and 19 eskinitas or alleyways. Because dump trucks could not enter the narrow streets, some of the larger streets were designated as dropoff points for all the residents trash. This resulted in piles of garbage lined up on the streets. With an initial funding of 45,000 pesos Barangay Captain Datiles started its Ecological Solid Waste Management program in 2001 with the help of Mother Earth Unlimited, a non-government organization. The money was spent on cleaning an abandoned land for a materials recovery facility (MRF) and the installation of water and electicity. Barangay Tanods were tapped to construct the MRF facility. A house-to-house information and education campaign was conducted with the help of non-government and religious organizations and respected senior citizens of the barangay. Business establishments were required to undergo solid waste management training before a permit for operation was issued. An ordinance was passed requiring residents to segragate wet, dry and biodegradable garbage. Non-compliance had a corresponding penalty. The barangay hired ecology police who made daily morning and afternoon rounds in the barangay to make sure that the residents were complying with the ordinance. Barangay Tanods collected the segregated wastes in their pushcarts. Biodegradable wastes were made into compost. At the start of the program, there were 5 manually operated composting Plastics and similar wastes were shredded and recycled into bricks, which were used to line the sidewalks of the barangay. The Basura Mo, Ipalit Mo program further encouraged residents to practice segregation. In this program, residents who gave their biodegradable and recyclable wastes to eco-aides earned points. The accumulated points could then be exchanged for goods like rice, medicines, and laundry soap. While the wastes were reduced, the income of the barangay increased. The barangay produced 800 to 1000 kilos of compost per week, which were sold to the Manila Seedling Company. Other kitchen wastes were sold to piggeries. Paper and plastics were sold to nearby junk shops. In a span of one year, the amount of garbage collected by dump trucks was reduced by 52%. Garbage trucks were contracted by the city and were paid per truck. The barangay saved 1.9 million pesos by reducing the number of times the dump trucks collected garbage from the barangay. The mayor of Quezon City offered an incentive to
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barangays that had savings in its waste budget. In this program, a barangay will receive 50% of its savings and can use this rebate to sustain its waste management program . Thus in 2006, Barangay Bagumbuhay was awarded an incentive rebate worth 1.2 million pesos. The money was used to purchase additional equipment for their recycling center. The cleaner environment also resulted in improved health in the community. There was a decrease in the number of patients suffering from diarrhea and typhoid fever in the barangay after the implementation of the waste management program. Because of this transformation, Barangay Bagumbuhay was recognized as the most outstanding barangay in Quezon City and a model barangay nationwide.

BACKGROUND
Solid waste management requires the application of different methods in a specified order. The order of preference for these different methods is called the solid waste management hierarchy. According to this hierarchy the order of using the different methods from most preferred to least preferred is: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. reduction (most preferred) reuse recycling recovery (incineration or waste-to-energy) landfill (least preferred)

Reduction Source reduction involves decreasing waste prior to its generation through the design of packaging materials and products and the reuse of products and their packaging. According to the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Facts, source reduction "includes the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials, such as products and packaging, to reduce their amount or toxicity before they enter the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system. Waste reduction includes designing products or packaging to reduce the quantity or the toxicity of the materials used; reusing existing products or packaging; and using the least amount of packaging that reduces the amount of damage or spoilage to the products. Recycling Recycling is defined as the collection of such materials as cardboard, steel, and
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aluminum and manufacturing them into a new product. Composting involves the collection of organic residues/wastes, treatment of this organic material with microorganisms to produce humus, and the utilization of the product as fertilizer. Recovery / Waste Combustion with Energy Recovery / Incineration Waste combusting is defined as the incineration or burning of waste. Preferably this process involves the recovery of energy that is used for other purposes. Incineration has several benefits: it greatly reduces the volume of garbage, destroys hazardous chemicals and pathogens, and it recovers energy that can be used to produce steam or generate electricity. However, incineration also has its harmful effects. Waste incinerators are the largest source of hormone-disrupting dioxins, one of the most toxic chemicals known to science. Incineration produces ash with concentrated amounts of heavy metals, such as lead, arsenic and cadmium. When buried, these chemicals pollute groundwater for generations. These heavy metals have been linked to birth defects, cancer, respiratory ailments and reproductive dysfunction among people who live near incineration plants. Incinerators must be equipped with electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers, or other equipment to reduce emissions to levels acceptable to regulatory agencies. Historically, the Philippines was the first country in the world to ban waste incineration. Landfills Disposal of wastes/residues in landfills involves the collection, transportation, and, ultimately, burial in a facility. Although burial of trash removes the sight and odor of garbage, it is now often thought of as the last resort in terms of waste management because of the many problems associated with landfills. Besides taking up space, landfills pose many environmental threats. When biodegradable waste breaks down, it releases the gases methane and carbon dioxide. These are both greenhouse gases which are responsible for global warming. Water from rainfall can mix with chemicals and heavy metals in the site to make a liquid substance called leachate. If a landfill is not managed properly, the hazardous leachate can find its way into our water supplies and harm plants and animals in our streams and watercourses. Burying wastes also prevents them from getting biodegraded and recycled. Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 On January 26, 2001, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003) was signed into law by the Philippine government. The law requires all Local Government Units (LGUs) in the country to establish an ecological solid waste
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management program within their jurisdictions and provides the necessary institutional mechanisms to attain its objectives. Among the provisions of the law is the mandatory segregation of wastes conducted at the source and the establishment of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in every barangay or cluster of barangays, which shall receive mixed waste for final sorting, composting and recycling. The residual waste shall then be transferred to a long term storage or disposal facility or sanitary landfill. Among the acts prohibited by the law are littering in public places, open burning of solid wastes, permitting the collection of unsegregated wastes, establishment and operation of open dumps and incineration.

PROBLEM
How can a barangay manage its solid wastes on a limited budget?

REFERENCES
ABC Radio National. (2005). Surviving smokey mountain. A World Without Waste. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/features/worldwaste/images/philippines/30.jpg Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development. (2007). Ecological waste management in urban and rural barangays by Mother Earth. APFED Good Practice Database. Retrieved January 5, 2010, from http://www.apfed.net/ki/database/dtlgp.php?no=152&filename=doc/RISPO GP161.pdf Atienza, V. (). Breakthroughs in solid waste management: Lessons from selected municipality and barangay in the Philippines. Retrieved January 5, 2010, from http://www.eropa.org.ph/conferences/TRIPTYCH/DRAFT_PAPERS/PHIL2008_A TIENZA.pdf. Goldman Environmental Prize. (2009). Von Hernandez. Retrieved January 6, 2010, from http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/107 Kansas State University. (2002). Integrated Waste Management System. Interdisciplinary Modules to Teach Waste or Residue Management in the Food Chain. Retrieved January 6, 2010, from http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/swr/Module3/Integrated_Waste_Management.htm

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Republic of the Philippines. (2001, January 26). Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Retrieved from http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2001/ra_9003_2001.html Tiongson, F. L. (2008, October 5). QCs Barangay Bagumbayan shows how to cure urban blight. The Manila Times Internet Edition, Retrieved January 5, 2010, from http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/oct/05/yehey/top_stories/20081005top 3.html Wirral. (2009). So what is a landfill? (2009). Retrieved January 6, 2010, from http://www.wirral.gov.uk/LGCL/100006/200084/851/content_0002170.html

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WORKSHEET
NAME ____________________________ SECTION ________________ DATE _________

A NEW LIFE IN BARANGAY BAGUMBUHAY

1. Describe the garbage problem in Barangay Bagumbayan before the implementation of the ecological solid waste management program.

2. What are the consequences of large amounts of garbage piled up on streets?

3. Explain the solid waste management hierarchy.

4. Why did the Philippines ban incineration as a method of solid waste disposal?

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5. Why is the landfill considered as a last resort in solid waste management?

6. What are some of the provisions of Republic Act 9003?

7. What are some actions prohibited by Republic Act 9003?

8. List down the activities in the solid waste management program implemented in Barangay Bagumbuhay.

9. List down the positive results of the solid waste management program in Barangay Bagumbuhay.

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10. Generalization: Why do you think was the solid waste management program in Barangay Bagumbuhay very effective even with a limited budget at the start?

11. Is there a solid waste management program implemented in your own barangay? a) If yes, compare it with the program in Barangay Bagumbuhay.

b) If no, find out why there is none and write a letter to your barangay captain proposing a solid waste management program that can be implemented in your barangay.

Bordallo, M. C. A. (2010). Real-life cases for teaching and learning environmental chemistry. Unpublished manuscript. Page 30