Aguilar launches citywide waste segregation drive

Las Piñas Mayor Imelda Aguilar has launched a citywide waste segregation campaign as part of the effort to achieve the zero-waste goal of the city government.

With theme "Pairalin ang Disiplina, Ipaghiwalay ang Basura" the campaign provides livelihood to residents through recycling or sale of reusable materials, eventually reducing collectible refuse from each household.

Under the program, the city’s 20 barangays were formed into five clusters, where a garbage recycling and segregation center will be set up in a specific area. Cluster 1 (Aldana) covers Barangays Aldana, Ilaya, D. Fajardo, and Manuyo; Cluster 2 (Verdant) covers Barangays Pamplona I to III; Cluster 3 (Talon I) covers Barangays Talon 1 to V; Cluster 4 (Pilar) covers Barangays Pilar, Almanza I and II; and Cluster 5 covers CAA.

Barangay chairmen are set to adopt a junk shop, the capacities of which would be maximized into a material recovery facility to achieve the goal of reducing the garbage by 50 percent this year.

"I am appealing to all Las Piñeros to take this issue on environment seriously. Discipline and cooperation are what we need to keep our city clean, healthy and free of life threatening diseases," Aguilar said.

Records from the city’s Environment and Sanitation Center (ESC) showed that from the average daily garbage collection of 600 cubic meters, the volume was reduced to as much as 20 percent, or 120 cubic meters the past few months.

Garbage collection along the main road is from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, while in over 200 villages and subdivisions the schedule is from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. once or twice a week, depending on the area size.

On top of this is the mobilization of 1,000 street sweepers, 65 compactor trucks and 10 open dump trucks, conducting 90 trips daily.

Las Piñas is a recipient of the Hall of Fame award for being recognized as the "Cleanest and Greenest City in Metro Manila" for three consecutive years (1997 to 1999). It also bagged the United Nations Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Protection award in 2000.