Eco-bikes for a flood-free Hagonoy
MANILA, Philippines - A typical eco-bike projects an image of a bicycle made of bamboo. But this new breed of eco-bike carries a different definition.
Hagonoy’s eco-bikes are customized bicycles for collecting garbage from the 26 barangays in the municipality.
Every day, Hagonoy accumulates an average of 20 tons of wastes and this costs the local government P21,750 per month by just hauling these into landfills.
The eco-bike project of the Municipality of Hagonoy, through its Environment Management Office in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), is an environmental solution to assist the barangays on proper waste management and recycling.
This supports the LGU’s “no segregation, no collection” policy which started to be enforced last April. With the eco-bikes, it would cost much less to transport the wastes from households to the materials recovery facilities, and eventually to the sanitary landfill.
Hagonoy Mayor Angel Cruz asked for the active participation of his constituents by emphasizing the value of initiative or kusang pagkilos. He said that the efforts to implement the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) will be useless if the people do not work hand in hand with the local government.
Present in the turnover of the eco-bikes were representatives from PBSP’s member companies Medicard and First Philippine Holdings; and Ambassador Robert Brinks of the Netherlands, who was also one of the responders during the disaster aid in Hagonoy.
“By moving the eco-bikes around daily, people will be reminded to reduce, reuse, and recycle,” Brinks said.
Hagonoy is one of the severely-hit municipalities by typhoons Pedring and Quiel in the last quarter of 2011. Its damage to infrastructure and agriculture in Central Luzon and Metro Manila reached P15 billion.
PBSP responded by mobilizing its members and partners to provide relief assistance to the affected families in Hagonoy and Calumpit, Bulacan; Sta. Lucia, Quezon City; and Porac, Pampanga.
The eco-bike project is a product of the pooled funds allocated for the implementation of a post-disaster intervention in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
After the typhoons, the volume of wastes collected in Hagonoy reached 24 to 26 tons per day. This is more than the average volume generated before the calamities struck. Flooding became very frequent in the place due to improper disposal of wastes that clogged drainage and canals.
According to the Environment Management Office, 55 percent of the wastes collected are biodegradables while 25 percent are recyclables which can be sold to junk shops. Should these be segregated properly, only 20 percent would be considered residuals for dumping.
