Naga, USC sign memorandum of agreement

CEBU, Philippines - A material recovery facility (MRF) in the City of Naga yesterday morning signed a memorandum of agreement with the University of San Carlos that would allow the school to conduct researches on the city's collected wastes.

Dr. Danilo Largo, director of USC's research office, will conduct studies on every kind of waste that gets to the facility of Fdr-Con Com Inc. in barangay Pangdan, City of Naga.

"We have the technology. What we do now is to know how to handle the waste," Largo said.

Evelyn Taboada of Fdr-Con admitted that they need the expertise of USC's research department especially on the part of turning wastes into biofuel.

Largo said three graduating chemical engineering students from the school will be sent to Fdr-Con's facility to start a one-year study.

"Our task is to transmit knowledge. Update knowledge and useful knowledge. It must be useful not only to an individual but to the society," said Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD., who, being president, signed in behalf of USC.

Miranda said he was happy that the school has finally opened its doors to use its research potentials "in helping find technical and meaningful solutions to problems."

City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong was also present in the event, which was held at the USC main.

Paul Revalde, president and chief executive officer of FDR-Con, said the tie up will not only ensure that the city and the town of Minglanilla, which has already started using the facility since April this year, will not only become zero-waste, it also means that the recycled wastes will now be put to good use again, apart from another income for the local government.

The MRF, which sits on a 7-hectare property in Pangdan, started operating in June last year. Today, the facility processes 50 tons of wastes everyday, a big chunk of which are sold to recyclers, about 20 percent are processed into biofuel, while some are made into compost. - THE FREEMAN