Brief pleasant surprise  

It has been about two weeks since the challenge for Cebu City to adopt AGAPE and DEO was raised at the First Cebu City River Summit.

By the way, congratulations again especially to the team of Councilor Dondon Hontiveros, coordinated by Atty. Ron Aguilar for a well-participated, multisectoral event!

Beyond the River Summit, we look forward to the participants, this time led by and together with Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama and council, to take up the challenge and have concrete action programs for Cebu City river restoration/rehabilitation through A Garden Per Ecosystem or AGAPE (home/community gardens using kitchen wastes for compost) and Daily Eco-Offering or DEO (waste segregation).

These projects are important for sustainable food supply and alternative livelihood for all communities/residents within the next three to six months!

Praying and not losing hope that God will touch the hearts of the right leaders to provide genuine political will for effective, participatory, eco-friendly, inexpensive waste management for all cities, towns, and locations, not only in Cebu City but throughout the whole country!

The AGAPE/DEO challenge for a genuine, effective waste management is really nothing new.

To our pleasant surprise, last Thursday, at Ayala Center Cebu, at the glass window near a drugstore’s entrance, we noticed a tiny A-4 sized colored poster/information with the seal of Cebu City and with the heading: Cebu City Wide Implementation of NO Segregation, No Collection Policy (ubos sa Republic Act 9003 ug City Ordinance1361 ug 2031)!

This was followed by mga ginadili:

- Ang paglabay sa mga basura sa mga publikong lugar

- Pakyas sa paglain-lain pagbahin-bahin sa upat ka klase sa basura

- Basura nga makatag lima ka metros palibot sa mga paril o koral sa balay o building

- Pakyas sa mga lugar patigayonan sa pagbutang sa sudlanan sa basura ug mga dili makasamok sa mga tawo nga lumalabay

- Pagluwa, pagpanghi (sic), pagkalibang sa publikong lugar

- Pagdaob og dahon o basura

- Pagpagawas sa basura sa dili pang takdang oras o schedule.

These prohibited items were followed by colored trash bins, each color for a particular type of segregated waste.

If the above prohibitions were not followed, these silot ug multa: compromise fee-?500 or community service, usa hangtod unom ka buwan nga pagkabilanggo depende sa desisyon sa korte.

Wow! Do the people of Cebu City know about these prohibitions, penalties and fees?

Then this, schedule sa paglabay (5 p.m. – 7 a.m.).

Then this next information: Different types of waste have different schedules of what is unclear. Maybe sa paglabay?

Malata (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday), dili malata (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday), residual (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday) and special waste (to be announced).

The next helpful information specifies: Malata (salin sa pagkaon, utanon, dahon, panit sa prutas, papel, tina-i sa isda, and karton --very useful for AGAPE and DEO!), dili malata (canned goods, tinidor/kutsara, dilata, botelya, styrofoam, tetrapack, PVC, grocery bags, disposable spoons, disposable cups, plastic bags, plastic bottle, plastic container and plastic straw, residual (napkins, diapers, trapo) and special waste (bateriya sa sakyanan, bateriya sa flashlight, sobra sa pintal, pondido nga fluorescent lamps ug bombelya, guba nga telebisyon, guba nga computers, radio, stereo, VDC/DVD player, refrigerator, wires, gadgets, cellphones, chargers.

At the bottom of the tiny poster, this Dugang Pahibalo: Ordinance 2343: Gidili paggamit ug pagbaligya sa plastic shopping bags matag adlaw nga Miyerkoles, Biyernes, ug Sabado-multa ?1,000.

Then these non-waste Ordinance 2241 og EO 26: Gidili ang pagpanigarilyo sa pang publikong lugar ug sa ma publikong sakyanan-multa ?2000.

Inside a box were written: No smoking or vaping!

Then hotlines: Cebu City Environment & Natural Resources (CCENRO): 2536362 and 2532217. Department of Public Services 4110100 local 3105.

Then four logos, only two clearly discernible: CCENRO and 8090 Housing Development Corp.?

How widely distributed is this valuable waste management information?