Biñan government turns volcanic ash into ‘Taal eco bricks’
MANILA, Philippines — The city government of Biñan, Laguna found a way to reuse ashes emitted by Taal Volcano and it’s eco-friendly.
Mayor Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. was the one who floated the idea of turning the disastrous Taal Volcano eruption into an opportunity to produce eco-bricks with dry ashes as raw materials.
Biñan City was among the areas blanketed by ashfall when Taal Volcano erupted on Sunday.
“It was the local chief executive's idea to transform the ashes into bricks. Since marami pong nacollect na (Since we have collected several) ashes after the ashfall,” Roman Carencia, Biñan City information officer was quoted by the Public Information Agency as saying.
The idea was an offshoot of its existing solid waste management program that uses shredded plastic waste in the production of eco-bricks.
Aside from being environment-friendly, the transformation of ashes into Taal bricks is a move to help the towns of Batangas such as Agoncillo, Lemery and Caraca recover.
Dimaguila said the city would donate the bricks so these areas can use them in rebuilding their towns.
The city government began collecting dry ashes for the production of Taal bricks on Monday, just a day after the eruption.
It conducted an initial clearing operation on the city’s main and secondary roads on Monday and conducted a simultaneous clean-up drive in the 24 barangays of the city on Tuesday where they managed to collect a pile of dry ashes.
These dry ashes were sent to the Material Recovery Facility in Barangay Timbao.
The city government said it is using its six compactors and four sweepers and tapped thousands of volunteers in the clean-up drive. It added that it has scheduled daily collections in its Material Recovery Facility.
It is calling on the residents of Biñan to donate collected ashes to their barangay garbage collecting truck.
According to PIA, the city has been producing 5,000 bricks daily before the Taal eruption.
Dimaguila eyes to make the sidewalks and pathways as well as public schools to be concrete.
The city initiated these efforts in 2016.
Biñan City is a recipient of the Environmental Compliance Audit Awards under the Department of the Interior and Local Government for two consecutive years now. — Rosette Adel
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