UP Baguio presents study on waste along Balili River

By Susan Aro

BAGUIO CITY, -- The University of the Philippines Baguio has  conducted a study on waste management of residents along barangays within the river system in Sagudin River in the city and nearby Balili River in La Trinidad, Benguet.

               

The study covered selected cleanest and dirtiest barangays in the city connected to Sagudin, the headwater of Balili River,  namely Brookside, Dizon-Manzanillo, South Drive, Sto. Nino-Slaughter House, Crescencia Village and Leonila Hill-Trancoville and Km. 3 in Balili and Bineng, in La Trinidad along the  Balili River.

               

UP Professor Vicky Diaz presented the study conducted early this year by her students in Social Sciences to barangay officials of Baguio and  La Trinidad to determine sources of pollution, factors causing pollution, best practices, other factors and obstacles in proper waste management.

               

Suggestions in improving waste management and other issues relative to waste management and how to improve the river system were also gathered.

               

According to Diaz, kitchen wastes, sewerage, piggery and non-biodegradable wastes have been identified by household members on the sources of pollution in the river.

               

For business establishments were waste water from laundry, carwash and carinderia. For institutional and other wastes were animal waste, waste water from slaughter house, snack wrappers of school children, thrash thrown by outsiders such as tourists, taxi and jeepney drivers, students, and boarders.

               

Waste management system is in place for both LGUs but along the way there are factors that hinder the implementation, based on the findings of the study.

               

Although waste segregation has long been a practice and enforced and majority are practicing especially in the city, there is still lack of knowledge to segregate particularly among boarders and transients.

               

There is lack of awareness on collection schedule process and designated pick up points rather than house-to-house. But there is inconsistency in pick up schedules, sometimes delayed and sometimes early as validated by barangay officials.

               

The study also found out that non-segregation in the months of June and July is highly experienced among boarders as they are not fully aware of the practice being new in the area.  In this case it is suggested for landlords/landladies to inform boarders and likewise disseminate technology on composting and its availability.

               

According to residents, there is lack of physical requirements for wastes disposal such as no connection to sewerage system which in this case goes directly to the river system, no backyard for compost pit, no material recovery facility (MRF) in barangay, and lack of information of distance of pick up point.

               

Attitude is also another factor  such as laziness to segregate, laziness to wake up early to bring trash to pick up point, indifference due to perception that wastes are mixed anyway and no need to segregate, lack of involvement of residents in barangay affairs.

               

Barangay officials go beyond their task and wake up early to do segregation prior to the pick up time instead of prodding the residents particulary in the city which is not supposed to be, according to Diaz.

               

Hindrance to governance include lack of awareness on the existence of ordinance on waste disposal and related measures, weak implementation of ordinance including penalties for violators, weak or ineffective leadership resulting to non-compliance, and lack of public dissemination of information.

               

As to enabling factors which lead to proper waste management, Diaz bared governance and barangay sponsored activities such as strict implementation of policy on unsegregated waste retrieval for on-the-spot segregation and imposition of fines; presence of advocates such as barangay officials, Alay saKalinisan members checking segregation; hired sweepers; campaigns  on reforestation and clean-up drives; seminars/ trainings on gardening and composting; and information dissemination activities.

               

In aid of proper waste management, is the presence of infrastructure and physical attributes such as MRF and Eco-Composting Receptacle (ECR) far from highway or main road, and availability of backyard for compost pit.

               

The presence of private or outside assistance also helps such as waste pickers, buyers of recyclable materials, and kitchen wastes collection for pig food or “arasaw” in the dialect, and tie-up with schools to educate children,  said Diaz.

               

Initiative of residents is also one of the factors that enable proper waste management.  Some allow the use of vacant lot for composting or collection point, the use of push cart to bring trash of several households to collection area, hiring personal caretakers/cleaners, mini-gardening/composting, landlords checking boarder’s compliance, and development of technology such as conversion of pig manure to biogas for cooking.

               

Findings also reveal that attitude which are worthwhile are the development of habit of segregation, cooperation in barangay activities, and recognizing the consequences on health and disaster.

               

There are other notable issues raised by some residents which need to be addressed,  according to Diaz,  such as lack of understanding of garbage, inability of residents to voice out concerns, schedule of collection where thrash are dumped early at pick up points but late collection, and more frequent collection. There are also insufficient rewards for cleanest barangays, and low honorarium of kagawad as raised by some residents.

               

There were also suggestions on ways to improve waste management such as inter-barangay communication to learn each other’s best practice, training on composting and vermiculture and stricter implementation of rules.

               

The study concluded on need for governance on the presence of rules, correspondingly its strict implementation. There should be presence of support system for appropriate infrastructure of recycling services, community mechanism for information dissemination and capability building, and cooperation and for individuals to develop attitude to appreciate the importance of waste and active participation at the household level, she further stressed.

               

Findings of the study were validated by concerned barangay officials present and noted by concerned local government units.