Pagsabungan opens first material recovery facility

CEBU, Philippines - Barangay Pagsabungan in Mandaue City yesterday launched the first mechanized Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

The 1,500 square meter facility located within the Amigo property uses a conveyor connected to a shredder. It captures all shredded bio-degradable materials and pours these into 20 bins. These are then stocked for 25 days to allow decomposition take its course. The materials are then transferred to another set of bins and allowed to stay for 25 days. The result is an organic fertilizer.

“This is part of our pro-active program on the problem of waste disposal. This is not only for us but also for the next generation,” said Mayor Jonas Cortes. 

The mayor beat the June 5 deadline set by Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or R.A. 9003 on the closure of open dumpsites which forced the residents and barangays to segregate their waste at source.

The mayor recalled that the opposition-dominated council rejected his proposal to declare the open dumpsite in Umapad as calamity area.

They only realized the necessity on Christmas Day after the methane gas in the dumpsite spawned a fire, he said.

“I cannot be successful if you will not do your part,” said Mayor Cortes.

According to Pagsabungan Barangay Captain Andres Suson, the conveyor was installed at the cost of P80,000.

Suson said he has designated 13 clean and green employees at the city hall as eco-wardens whose function is mainly to apprehend persons caught throwing garbage indiscriminately.

Suson said the installation of the equipment at the MRF area provided a major change in the attitude of the people who are trained to respond to the challenges in life.

Barangay Pagsabungan, with a population of 20,000, is home to some 20 companies, which include Shemberg and Green Coil. – Flor Z. Perolina   (FREEMAN NEWS)