An academe-based social worker in Marawi City and a community program coordinator have asked residents to inculcate the importance of solid waste segregation to lessen its impact on the environment.
Mr. Esmail Derico Amer, registered social worker from the Mindanao State University in Marawi City told a training among community organizations in Lanao del Sur province that
“improper management of solid waste may bring negative impact to public health of the community and bring environmental destruction”.
Instead, he encouraged the participants “to start practicing proper waste management in your own homes such as segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable items and practicing the 3Rs, or reuse, reduce and recycle”.
Mr. Najer Hadji Jalel, program coordinator of Maradeca Inc., said that “managing solid waste can help improve the livelihood condition of the community”.
This include adopting compost organic waste “where they can use it as fertilisers from their farm field”.
A participant from Barangay Diolangan of the municipality of Bubong, said that the training “is very enlightening because it made me realize the importance of proper waste management”.
“This is everyone`s concern, like using plastic bags were they commonly use it without thinking of its negative effect on the environment,” he said, citing its long process of decay that would take as long as 100 years.
He encourage other participants to stop patronizing plastic bags and shift to basket bag instead.
The training was organized by the Maranao Development Center Inc. (Maradeca) through its Sustainable Enterprises Development Program (SED). Maradeca has partnered with Caritas-Australia to conduct the Solid Waste Management Training in the municipality of Masiu, in Barangay Langi-Talub and Barangay Diolangan in the municipality of Bubong Lanao del Sur. The trainings were held on April 12 and April 14 this year.
The training was attended by 34 men and 37 women from the community groups OTR and OBAERA, and the youth and other community members.
Maradeca said the trainings aim to educate the community “on the importance of solid waste management in the community and its interconnected to health and environment”.