Presented by:

Mr. Valmar M. Valdez

City Environment and Natural Resources
Officer
City of San Fernando, La Union
during the
Luzon Sanitation Summit
22-23 April 2008, Makati City
 THE VISION
“The Botanical Garden City
a healthy city and the springboard for regional progress”

The City of San Fernando

wants to be known as an
environment-conscious
place.

The Botanical Garden

symbolizes the city’s
recognition that it wants to
be known as a clean and
green city.
A CITY THAT EVERYBODY WANTS
TO LIVE AND WORK IN
 City Basic
Profile
 Total Population
: 116, 521
 Total Daily visitors
: 50, 000
 Total No. of Houses
: 18, 650
 Total No. of Household
: 25, 476
 Total Land Area
: 10, 526 has
 Total No. of Barangays:
59

Source: City Health Office

 Sanitation Profile:

EXCRETA DISPOSAL WATER SUPPLY

SOURCES
Flushed toilet 6, 352 Level I 12, 519
Water sealed 16,658 (shallow/

Sanitary pit 1,239 deep well)

Open pit 24 Level II 425

EcoSan 234 (Pipeline/
NAWASA)
Communal toilet 216
Level III 11,776
Without toilet 5 (River, creeks &
springs)
Public Station 53
(Sharing) water 748
Doubtful 756
sealed sources
Source: City Health Office
Major Environmental Sanitation Projects
A.Ecological Sanitation Project/ Dry Sanitation
Toilet

B. Wastewater Treatment Facility Project

C. Engineered Sanitary Landfill Project

 What is Ecological Sanitation (Ecosan)?
A new sanitation approach that develop systems that would
save water, prevent water pollution, and recycle the nutrients in
human excreta and urine.

EcoSanreplicates nature by returning the plant nutrients in

human urine and feces to the soil.

Instead of polluting the environment, human urine and feces

are used to improve soil structure and supply nutrients.
 NUTRIENT CYCLE
Humans Excreta
Food Urine
Feces

Pathogen
Processing Ecological Destruction
Sanitation

Crops Safe fertilizer

Soil conditioner
Soil
 Ecosan is most suitable in areas where:

 Water is scarce
 Ground water is at risk
 Near water bodies, like
rivers and lakes
 No sewerage and
drainage system
 Poor sanitation
 New settlements
BENEFITS OF ECOSAN
 Water conservation
 Protection of water bodies
 Employment creation
 Increase food security
 Reduction of wastewater
management costs
 Improved public health
conditions
 Affordable construction cost
 Utilization of waste
resources as compost (NPK)
Sustainable Sanitation
System: San Fernando’s
ECOSAN Experience

Solid Waste Management

Association
of the Philippines (SWAPP)

Institute for the Development of

Foundation for a
Educational
Sustainable Society, Inc.
and Ecological Alternatives (IDEAS)
(FSSI)

Integrated Support for Sustainable Urban

Environment
Work Package 6: The Philippines and Neighboring
 EcoSan Project Pilot Areas

1. Barangay San Agustin (coastal urban area)

2. Barangay Nagyubuyuban (upland agricultural)
3. Fishermen’s Village Area ( EcoSan village)
 EcoSan Status
 Barangay San Agustin
 45 Ecosan Toilet were constructed
 Barangay Nagyubuyuban
 100 Ecosan Toilets were constructed
 100 on-going construction
 Science Centrum and Botanical Garden
2 Ecosan Toilet (with 2 units each) was constructed each
 Public Schools
3 Ecosan Toilet (with 4 units each) was constructed each
Fishermans Village
87 EcoSan Toiets

Others:
10 units of toilets installed in all City Plant Nurseries

Total: 358 units of EcoSan toilets (2007 – 2008)

Project Accomplishments:
1. Installation of Ecosan dry sanitation toilets;
2. Incorporation of Ecosan to the Sanitation Plan
and
Sanitation Code of the City;
3. Institutional empowerment and development
for the implementers [Technical Working Group]
and cooperators [Brgy. Ecosan Committee];
4. Increased awareness of residents on Ecosan;
Continuation…..

5. Established demo farms and generated information

on application of excreta through research;

6. IEC on environmental protection and sanitation;

7. Enhanced technical know-how on environmental

sanitation for implementers;

8. Improved sanitation practices; personal hygiene

and proper disposal of human excreta;
Continuation….

9. Reuse and recycling of waste (urine);

10. Acceptability of Ecosan compost for farming
(urine);
11. Expansion of Ecosan project;
12. Counterparting schemes
Challenges/Project Constraints
1. Social acceptability/ attitudes towards innovation
like the Ecosan;
2. Capacity to pay of cooperators (financial capability
of the core poor beneficiaries) ;
3. Limited knowledge of benefits and acceptability of
Ecosan technology in agricultural communities;
Continuation….

4. Structural and design factors;

5. Weather-related challenges and risk to coastal

Ecosan beneficiaries;

6. Logistical support (source of ash, collection

system);

7. Change of political leaders

Lessons learned:
1. The success of any community development
intervention lies in the presence of a champion;
2. An innovation such as Ecosan was introduced with a
clear understanding of the benefits the community could
derive from it, thus its adoption was easier to achieve;
3. The research component and the accompanying
information dissemination of results allayed fears on the
eating quality of vegetables produced using waste
products;
4. The ISSUE Consortium and the complementary
relationships that converged to support requirements of
Ecosan was a power force that propelled the City
Government into becoming the country’s Ecosan Model.
Lessons learned:
5. The sustainability of the project lies on the Continuing
commitment of barangay and City officials;
6. Project management including the consortium approach
proved successful;
7. Social marketing and effective IEC, strong leadership and
political will; advocacy in technology demonstration and
creating favorable policy environment were important
facilitating factors in the Project.
8. Constraints to be addressed:
a. Resistance to change/dependent attitude
b. sustainable source of ash
c. lack of appropriate design for the disabled/differently - abled person
d. typhoons and torrential rains causing floods
e. Waste Venture initiatives were not yet ripe for economic enterprise
phase
 Other City Sanitation Initiatives:
Market Wastewater Treatment Facility

Other future projects:

*Fisherman’s Village Greywater Treatment Facility
*Slaughterhouse Wastewater Treatment Facility
*Septage Treatment Facility