For effective solid waste management: Boracay, Malapascua eye sisterhood pact

CEBU, Philippines – The barangay captains of Balabag in Boracay Island and Logon in Malapascua Island are seriously considering the signing of sisterhood agreement not to attract more tourists but for the effective implementation of solid waste management program in the two famous tourist destinations.

The plan came out during the meeting between former barangay captain Glenn Sacapaño of Balabag, Malay, Aklan and barangay captain Rex Novabos of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu.

The wife of Sacapaño is now the barangay captain and he is now the operations manager of the Boracay Solid Waste Action Team.

If pushed through, Novabos said it would be the first and only in the whole province of Cebu for a barangay to have a sister-barangay in other province. Balabag already has sister-barangay in Makati City.

The Department of Tourism has an on-going Solid Waste Management Project in Malapascua Island worth P1.7-million for one year through the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation.

The construction of Material Recovery Facility is a replication of the same DOT project in Boracay Island.

Sacapaño was sent by DOT last month to Malapascua Island to share how the project became successful when he was barangay captain and the mounting piles of trash in the island was already tagged as “Smokey Mountain of Boracay.”

The project in Boracay Island has generated income with the sale of recyclable products brought to the MRF, and the production of vermicompost from biodegradable waste.

Because of the success of the project in Boracay, the place now serves as one of the destinations for the Lakbay-Aral Program wherein barangay captains and other implementers of the project are asked to speak on their expertise in the methods of implementation. — Gregg M. Rubio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)