Padayon, Daanbantayan! (Part 2)

Elizabeth Mongaya, Loreta Escala, Gemma Conel, and Milagros Mapula (the women ecobrick workers in the eco-warrior list of Daanbantayan’s Barangay Bakhawan, Sitio Pangadlawan) confirmed that this Menro ecobrick-rice/hollowblock swap very well accepted by the women in the community. There are now 30 of them involved in this project.

These women do not only collect and produce ecobricks from their own community plastic wastes. They are now reaching out to other barangays, including the town proper, to be able to collect plastic wastes they can convert into ecobricks in exchange for rice or recycled hollow blocks!

Menro head Mitong Rodrigo assured that this ecobrick-rice/hollowblock swap is open to all residents of Daanbantayan!

The Barangay Bakhawan women, we observed, still have to practice waste segregation and to more widely manage their household kitchen and biowastes into compost fertilizer (to use or sell as income-generation activity) and compost gardens to grow their vegetables for their food supply or again for sale.

We look forward to their compost and their composted vegetables and plants within the next two to three months!

Thank you to these sitio women eco-warriors who deserve much recognition and honor for doing their share to clean up our earth for the benefit of their community and Daanbantayan!

Thank you also to them for the saging sab-a, ginamos, balanghoy, and kaimito they generously shared during our Toyo University-CESDES research visit!

From the farm up on the hill, Menro next arranged for our meeting with the Malocbaloc, Tagumpay, Danawan, Fisherfolk Association (MATADA) in Malocbaloc, Agujo, Daanbantayan to discuss their waste and waste management situation in their coastal community.

This fishing community’s main waste problem is the proliferation of plastics within the community as well as marine litter and disaster debris in the surrounding sea.

Waste segregation is also not practiced in the area. The leader is practicing composting but still has to encourage other members and community residents to manage their kitchen/biowastes into compost and compost gardens.

It was agreed that the association will provide an inventory of the types and volume of wastes in their fishing community so with Menro they can decide together on a waste management action plan to protect their sea and fisherfolks from the harm wastes (especially plastic wastes) bring to people, the seas and the rest of local and global environments.

For sharing with us their presence and time, our special thanks to Grace Monterde, the President of MATADA and these members: Primitivo Almonicar, Armando Arreglo, Anselmo Conde, Marcelo dela Torre, Ruel Mondejar, Rowell Paca, Abundio Pepito, Artchie Pepito, Egardo Pepito Sr., Eric Pepito, Rodrigo Pepito, Alfie Sericon, Jefry Sericon, Celso Taok, Erwin Taok, Jenny Toyco, Juan Villarmea Jr., Eulalia Pepito, and Joan Sontousidad.

Salute to these future sea/coastal eco-warriors of Daanbantayan!

From the hilly farm and the beautiful sea community, the Menro “angels” with our very patient/and skilled driver Noel Sontousidad brought us to the Malingin National High School where a biodiversity forest and more awaited us!

Winner of several environmental contests, this high school has a checklist of these waste management best practices; vermicompost area, herbal garden, biodiversity forest, rainwater harvesting tank, Material Recovery Facility (for segregated waste), waste material production area (for producing pillows/stuffed toys from shredded plastic wastes, charcoal balls from waste paper, other items).

Biodiversity Coordinator, Martina Sagrado, teacher-in-charge Chester Rosalejos, Waste Segregation Management Coordinator Rhodalina Cañete, other teachers/staff/students of this school and their generous private land donors need to be specially commended!

May they inspire more school/youth eco-warriors in Daanbantayan!

Finally, can Kandaya/GoldenSand/others join as active resort/hotel eco-warriors to promote Daanbantayan as Cebu’s leading eco-tourism destination?

Can they encourage/invite their guests for an early morning beach cleanup and waste segregation, with sea grass collected for fertilizer, plastics for the Menro ecobricks swap program, and kitchen/biowastes for compost/vegetable gardens?

Padayon, all Daanbantayan eco-warriors!