In line with Executive Order No. 6 issued by City Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has retrieved a total of 17 truckloads of campaign paraphernalia during the Operation Baklas.
CENRO Environmental Waste Management Division Head Engr. Lakandiwa R. Orcullo told Madayaw Davao on Wednesday that they have been conducting retrieval operations since the end of the election.
“Through the Operation Baklas 17 truckloads ang among na collect sugod pag close atong election last May 12 (Through Operation Baklas, we have collected 17 truckloads since the closing of the May 12 elections),” Orcullo said.
Orcullo said that a recycling company and an association volunteered to receive and recycle the trash. These are the Envirotech Winder Recycling Company–an upcycling company that creates school chairs and the Toril Kalamboan Women’s Association, an association that uses plastics for upcycling to bags and wallets.
He revealed that the bulk of the collected election paraphernalia was delivered to Envirotech.
They are still delivering more of the paraphernalia to them.
Orcullo said that they are thankful for these companies and groups as they help reduce the waste that go to the sanitary landfill.
He said that the city collects 750 to 800 tons of trash per day and it goes straight to the landfill.
To lessen these volume CENRO continues to implement the Davao City Solid Waste Management Ordinance and the Republic Act 9003, which states that recyclable materials should go to junkshops.
“Swerte man pud ang Davao City kay Daghan ta’g junkshops, actually daghan gyud willing mudawat. Pero dili pud tanan plastic naa’y market demand so atong lakang sa opisina nagapadayon ta sa information and education campaign sa segregation ug MRF sa mga barangay. Kinahanglan man gud naa’y padulngan ang atong recyclable materials (Davao City is lucky that it has many junkshops, actually many are really accepting plastics. But not all plastics have a market demand so our move in the office is to continue the information and education campaign on segregation and establishment of Material Recovery Facility since all recyclables must be disposed of or recycled),” Orcullo said.
He said that they kept pushing for barangays to maintain their MRF and composting facilities.
As an added effort on CENRO’S end, they also conduct surveys of the junkshops as to the kind of specific items they accept so that whenever someone inquires from their office, they will be able to refer or help and direct them to the right shop.
Orcullo urged Dabawenyos anew to help in the solid waste management, practice reduce, re-use, recycle in the generated waste because the CENRO and the City Government cannot just dump everything at the landfill.
“Kining responsibility sa solid waste is not just the responsibility of the city alone but it is a shared responsibility with the barangays, with every citizen. With that nagahangyo gihapon mi sa mga katawhan nga tabangan ang siyudad sa dili paglabay og basura sa bisan asa bisan kana lang pinakabasic. Maintain lang ang kalimpyo sa siyudad, panindigan ang atong pagka Dabawenyo Disiplinado (Solid waste is not the responsibility of the city government alone but a shared responsibility with the barangays, with every citizen. With that, we ask citizens to help in the maintenance of the city’s cleanliness by not littering, which is a basic act to show commitment as a disciplined Dabawenyo),” Orcullo said. CIO
