Makati’s barangay-based waste market kicks off today

The city government of Makati, through its Department of Environmental Services (DES), will officially launch its “Baratilyo ng Basura sa Barangay (BBB)” project today at the City Hall Quadrangle.

DES chief Danilo Villas said the BBB, the barangay-based version of the Makati Weekend Waste Market in Ayala Center, will be formally opened by Mayor Jejomar Binay, who will be joined by barangay captains of the city’s 33 barangays.

Villas said the launch was originally scheduled for June 23, but had to be reset because of typhoon “Frank.”

Under the project, the city’s 33 barangays are divided into six clusters, and each cluster has a designated BBB that will serve as the “official” junk shop that will buy recyclables from residents of member-barangays.

Each cluster is allowed to decide when they will sell to selected junk shops all the recyclables they bought from residents.

“We have decided to replicate the waste market scheme in the barangays to make it more accessible to residents and at the same time, avoid competition among them and promote the equal sharing of earnings among the members of each cluster. Likewise, they can use their earnings to buy useful things in their barangays or use it for other projects,” Villas said.

The Kapisanan ng mga Junkshop Operators sa Makati (KJOM) provided the barangays a price list for recyclable items that can be sold at the BBB and required them to acquire accurate weighing scale.

They have also assigned KJOM member-junkshops that will buy the recyclables from the barangays. – Michael Punongbayan