Iloilo provincial government praises the residents of barangay Tambaliza, Conception Iloilo. The 800 households of this island barangays take an initiative to take their garbage to become an eco-bricks hollow block for their children’s playground wall.
This is a very unique and innovative practice not just to help lower their barangay budget but also to help the environment.
It was started last June when the barangay captain Judito T. Gaguit doesn’t know where to dump the barangay garbage. Other barangay officials suggested putting their garbage in a plastic bottle to make eco-bricks. That was the time also that the residents started to collect garbage as a way to help their community.
In the interview of Panay News, barangay kagawad Clyd Arlos, a chairman of Committee on Education and Social Services in Brgy. Tambaliza said that, “Una-una naga-problema kami kay ang barangay wala bala sang ginapanag-iyahan nga duta nga puede mangin dumping area. So, na-agree-han namon nga amo ni himuon nga ma-collect kami sa tagsa-tagsa ka households sang ila basura nga isulod sa eco bricks.”
Arlos also added that they started the initiated last June 2021 and they were able to collect 4,000 bottles of eco-bricks that they started to make as the children’s playground wall.
“Nakatipon na kami sang masobra 4,000 plastic bottles nga may sulod nga basura kag masobra man 500 kilos nga basura ang amon natipon,” Arlos added.
To make sure the stability of the eco-bricks wall, steel matting was also added.
Arlos also explained that they did not offer any prizes or gifts to the residents to collect and eco-bricks. This is just an initiative of his constituents. The residents are eager and cooperative to send eco-bricks to their collecting area every month.
“Ang ila lang masupot ukon kon ano lang matipon nila nga basura sa isa ka bulan para wala kami sang ihaboy sa private nga duta nga amon dumping-an,” Arlos stated.
Because of cooperation and Bayanihan of residents, they were able to solve their initial problem in where to dump the garbage of the barangay. They were able to save also on renting private land as a dumping area.
Currently, the construction of the children’s playground wall is still under construction and they are aiming to finish the wall of the entire playground in the coming months.
After finishing this wall, the barangay officials also plan to turn over the remaining eco-bricks to the Iloilo Provincial Government particularly in Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) to exchange it for a tumbler.
The eco-bricks initiative was started last 2015 under the Alternative Recycling Technology on Plastics (ART on Plastics) project by thePENRO. In this project, the 43 LGU’s in the province of Iloilo can bring their eco-bricks to be exchanged for a tumbler.
PENRO Senior Environmental Management Specialist Mitzi PeƱaflorida praises the barangay Tabliza best practice.
According to PeƱaflorida in 2015 PENRO started the ART on Plastics where they campaign to put the garbage in the bottle, to help divert the garbage, instead of garbage scattering on the streets and sea.
“One way nga ma-divert ta ang mga basura instead nga maglapta kag dal-on ka tubig ulan pakadto sa kanal, suba, kag dagat. So, happy to note nga amo dun ran na dangatan kang aton programa. Even the island barangays naka-practice na sang sina nga technology,” PeƱaflorida explained during the interview of Panay News.
PeƱaflorida, also said that they give technical assistance to 43 LGU’s in the province of Iloilo including the Brgy. Tambaliza of Conception Iloilo.
This coming December 6, 2021, PENRO will have a groundbreaking ceremony of the first Eco-Bahay in Barangay Ipil Calinog, Iloilo for a celebration of Provincial Solid Wastes Management Awareness Week.
“Ma-ground breaking kita sang eco-bahay sa Barangay Ipil, Calinog which will be made of trash in a bottle. Also in partnership with Eco-Youth Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and stakeholders,” PeƱaflorida added.
The materials of this house will come from the eco-bricks and other recyclable materials that PENRO gathers from the 43 LGU’s. Also, PENRO pushes to build a tribal hall, training center, and display center in Calinog for the indigenous products for the indigenous people of the said town.
The “trash in a bottle” an Alternative Recycling Technology on Plastics or ART on Plastics conferred by the Department of Interior and Local Government in Region 6 as the Most Innovative Best Practice in Environmental Governance during the 2018 Excellence in Local Governance Award last December 12, 2018./PN
