Tag: #solidwastemanagement

Marantao, ano daw?

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

A 3-part series on the Marantao Solid Waste Management Training Workshop 

Part 1: Gusto Namin

Marantao, is a Malay word that means “to embark on a new adventure.”

Any adventure calls for a certain breed of people who are willing to explore, take risks and have fun.

True enough, the Municipality of Marantao is home to people who have eyes for new and bold undertakings and the heart for transformative experiences.

This was clearly reflected in the manner by which a community was prompted to act on the triggers for change in their waste management practices and consequently was motivated to be part of a larger vision to create cleaner and greener Marantao.

To respond to the triggers for change means the community is ready to put itself at the center of the problems and challenges and say “Gusto namin makibahagi sa solusyon!”

Marantao is facing several challenges in its waste management system, such as: nearly a thousand tons of waste generated annually, the perennial lack of waste management facilities, and the growing danger of waste flowing into Lanao Lake.

And to its advantage, inspired by their faith and the Quranic verse “Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves” (Quran 2:222)”,  ninety eager participants wholeheartedly embarked on this new adventure where they talked about these triggers and their resolve to take action through this training workshop conducted by  Synergeia, the CocaCola Foundation and the local government of Marantao on Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS).

The goal of this partnership initiative is to empower community members with the skills to collect accurate waste data and develop effective waste reduction plans tailored to Marantao’s needs. 

Part 2: Kaya Namin

The community of Marantao showed that real empowerment comes from the people themselves to accept, not resist,  the need for change and to act, not react, on a lingering and potentially dangerous situation arising from inappropriate waste management behavior.

In the two day training workshop, utllizing games,  interactive sessions, and hands-on experiences in waste management,  the ninety Marantao adventurers and solution seekers, learned how to segregate waste into different categories, gaining insights into the composition of waste in their community. They also acquired practical skills in weighing collected waste and calculating percentages, essential for understanding the waste stream’s dynamics.

The training had a profound impact on the participants. They learned about waste segregation, measurement, and analysis and gained a deeper understanding of the importance of sustainable waste management. 

With this knowledge, they are now ready to establish Barangay WACS teams to gather data from different areas within the community. Under the guidance of the Municipal Environment Officer, these teams will present their findings at the upcoming Environment Summit, showcasing Marantao’s commitment to sustainable practices. The WACS Training equipped participants with practical skills and instilled a sense of ownership and responsibility toward waste management, laying the foundation for a cleaner and greener Marantao.

“Kaya Namin” seemed to echo in the training hall, amplifying a positive and assuring voice from the community of Marantao that change ia indeed coming. 

Part 3: Şama-sama Tayo

Encouraged by Mayor Akira Alonto’s presence and support during the workshop, the participants have begun forming their Barangay WACS teams. They have started to apply their knowledge and take action by gathering precise waste data and crafting tailored reduction plans.

“Şama-sama tayo” filled the spirits of the people of Marantao, enriched by its local leadership which believes in the capacity of its people to work together and help transform its community towards a cleaner, greener and environmentally sustainable haven in Lanao del Sür. 

Truly,  the task ahead of them is not easy. Yet, armed with faith, relentless spirit, and the determination to make things right, Marantao absolutely gives  a new meaning to adventure and change.

Part 3: Braverhearts and Green Warriors of Maluso, Slay!

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

A four-part series on Synergeia’s Solid Waste Management Project with the Coca-Cola Foundation-

The Maluso Experience: Of Bravehearts and Green Warriors

To walk the talk is never easy.

But first is to understand the real problem and why it is happening.

Maluso admits that many of their practices on waste disposal negate their vision of clean, green and environmentally sustainable communities.

Local officials and community workers who participated in the seminar on solid waste management conducted by Synergeia with the Coca-Cola Foundation observed that:

1. Maluso lacks garbage receptacles or dump sites.

2. Adults and children don’t have good habits on waste disposal.

3. There is no established system of waste disposal.

4. Households in coastal areas dump their garbage in the open sea.

5. Some households throw their garbage under the trees.

6. Food wastes  are  thrown anywhere  or used  to feed pets and animals; and

7. Recycling of plastic bottles is small-scale and unsustainable.

 In many ways, the behavior of people, which results in these observations and causes major waste management issues for Maluso, needs some drastic change or improvement.

Mayor  Hanie  Bud stressed the importance of social preparation as a critical starting point. It means that communities have to be empowered with the knowledge and capacity to have the proper mindset and behavior on solid waste disposal, reduction, reuse, and recycling. A massive information and awareness campaign targeted towards communities will be useful to produce this outcome.

He also cited how he already started a  “no single-use plastic”  policy in the municipal office where he encouraged the employees and workers to bring water  tumblers and refill drinking water using the dispensers installed in the municipal building.   

Indeed, walking the talk can only succeed when communities band together to slay their roles in their solid waste management goals and be the Braverhearts and Green Warriors that they truly are.

The barangays in Maluso will walk the talk by doing what it need to do.

It will start the experiment of reducing and recycling plastic waste through, among others, the conduct of a community information drive, the provision of sacks to every household to be used in collecting plastic waste, and the establishment of baseline data on the collected plastics as the basis for formulating better strategies and approaches.

Synergeia offered its support by providing materials on the “Effects  of  Climate Change” for the barangay information drive, helping experts in the design of a capacity building workshop, connecting Maluso with

Coke’s waste aggregators or recyclers for the processing of plastics and introducing the idea of available but expensive technology for converting/processing plastics into fuel.

To Maluso, its time has come.

Read next: The Finale: The Future of Maluso Unraveled

Part 2: Braverhearts Reveal

Posted on by Florendo Guevara

A four-part series on Synergeia’s Solid Waste Management Project with the Coca-Cola Foundation- The Maluso Experience: Of Bravehearts and Green Warriors

When local leaders and communities acknowledge that they need help, it shows how their hearts are braver to confront their problems and challenges and seek better solutions that work best for the brighter future they are aiming for.

Maluso in Basilan portrayed a picture of honesty and resolve in their solid waste management issues that have in many ways crippled their vision of a clean, green and environmentally sustainable place.

Mayor Hanie Bud and his barangay chairmen and other municipal government officials listened intently to the orientation sessions of the Synergeia team whose objective was to further raise their awareness and understanding of the problems arising from the lack of a solid waste management (SWM) plan,  the inadequacy in knowledge of the best practices in SWM and the weaknesses in capabilities of communities to adopt the appropriate discipline and behavior in ensuring cleanliness, health and wellness and protection of the environment.

In particular, Dr. Milwida Guevara raised the importance of having an audit or mapping to obtain strong data, like among others, the quantity and type of garbage a normal household will have which may include recyclable materials like plastics and how they are disposed of, to support a more need-based strategy and approach.

Moreover, as a best practice model, Mayor Jimuel  Que shared Bongao’s journey on SWM and how formulating a 10-year SWM plan strategically helped in preparing and building capacities of communities toward implementing environmentally sustainable processes and practices, including the use and deployment of garbage trucks, the development of sanitary landfill, and the conduct of information and education campaigns.

On the part of Maluso, it was not indifferent to the problems associated with SWM. It has kickstarted major steps to demonstrate its seriousness in dealing with the issues and concerns. It has already organized sectoral consultations among market vendors, the business sector,  basura patrollers and other community stakeholders. Information drives through the barangay and youth programs have been done. A materials recovery facility has also been established in each barangay. Even tree and mangrove planting has been promoted.

But the concrete push comes from this partnership initiative of Maluso’s local government with Synergeia and Coca-Cola Foundation to test its wherewithal and commitment to provide more depth and truth to its SWM goals and expose and engage its communities to a new kind of culture that puts being clean and green a topmost priority.

Indeed, Maluso is one braverheart revealed and the real work is just beginning.

Read next: Part 3: Slaying with the Braverhearts and Green Warriors of Maluso