How might we ½nd value in waste?...the State of Victoria), the Philippines extends 1,770 km from north to south and 1,100 km from east to west. It consists of 7,107 islands and islets

A challenge brief on the waste problem in Ilo Ilo, PhilippinesHow might we find value in waste?

Social Innovation Challenge | World Vision challenge.worldvision.ca

Social Innovation Challenge 2019 l Waste

1. INTRODUCTION

The Challenge

The Philippines is ranked as the third worst plastic polluter in the world1, behind only China and Indonesia, contributing nearly two million tonnes of mismanaged plastic waste every year to the global ocean plastic problem. Aside from plastic waste, the Philippines is also home to improperly managed and informal dumpsites, uncollected waste that even includes recyclables, and an overall lack of awareness and motivation to institute appropriate solid waste management systems.

In 2018, in an attempt to reverse the pollution problem, the Filipino government temporarily prohibited tourists from entering major tourist islands for a period of time. However, a legacy of poor waste collection and waste management has heavily affected the environment, and the livelihood of local communities and residents.

Additionally, vivid images of oceans and beaches flooded with plastic and garbage has made the waste problem in the Philippines a global media phenomenon. Primarily driven by social media via Facebook and Instagram, hundreds and thousands of online views have prompted activist campaigners, local businesses, and large corporations to get involved in creating a solution.

The confluence of government and global attention makes 2018/2019 a perfect year to focus on finding a solution to the waste problem in the Philippines. The 2018 Social Innovation Challenge in Waste will focus on solving the substantial waste problem on the Filipino Island of Ilo Ilo, within the communities of Sto. Niño Sur and Sto. Niño Norte.

About World Vision

Established in 1950, World Vision Canada is an international relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice, with an emphasis on the most vulnerable. Through the World Vision (WV) partnership of more than 40,000 staff, assistance is provided to more than 100 million people in nearly 100 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Oceania. Sectors include economic development, child protection, health care, education and vocational training, government system strengthening, food security, agricultural value chains, and small business development.

Our Motivation

As an organization that puts child wellbeing at the heart of everything it does, World Vision strives to create safe, clean, health-promoting, and sustainable environments where children thrive. It also supports the empowerment of children’s parents, caregivers, and communities because it strongly believes in the African proverb that says, “it takes a village to raise a child”. Therefore, World Vision does not just work with

1 Jambeck, J.R., ; Geyer, R., ; Wilcox, C., ; Siegler, T.R., ; Perryman, M., ; Andrady, A., ; Narayan, R., ; Law, K.L.. Journal Article. URI: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/347/6223/768/tab-pdf.


Figure 1. The Philippines, Ilo Ilo and Ilo Ilo City

children directly, but rather with the whole community in creating the best environment for children, especially in poor urban areas in the Philippines where solid waste management is a glaring concern.

Opportunity Areas

This challenge presents many opportunities to adopt a market-driven approach to solid waste management for the following reasons:

● Income generation – the community members, majority of whom earn below the poverty threshold, can generate income from solid waste collection, sorting, cleaning, recycling, upcycling, etc.

● Employment opportunities – depending on the business model designed, this project can provide employment to the community members

● Sustainability – this project can be sustained even after World Vision’s support phases out ● Scalability – if the project model works, it can be scaled and even expanded to other communities ● Support – the community has reasonably good public infrastructure and responsive government

officials who are willing to try new ideas that are not too costly ● Partnership – there are established groups of community leaders and savings groups which the

project can leverage

2. BACKGROUND

About the Philippines

The Philippines is situated between the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean and lies entirely within the tropics. Forming part of the Malay Archipelago, with a total land area of 299,303 sq km (slightly larger than the State of Victoria), the Philippines extends 1,770 km from north to south and 1,100 km from east to west.

It consists of 7,107 islands and islets of which only 2,773 have names and only about 500 are larger than a square kilometer. In order of size, the largest islands are Luzon, Mindanao, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Samar, Negros, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Masbate, and together they make up 95 per cent of the total land area. The three major island groups are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippines’ population is approximately 103.3 million (2016, World Bank). Over ten million Filipinos live overseas, comprising one of the world's largest

diasporas.


Figure 2. Yellow markers identify the communities of Sto. Niño Norte and Sto.Niño Sur.

The Philippines’ diverse geography and its eventful history are reflected in the diversity of its population. It is estimated that there are 187 indigenous Philippine languages, some of which make up the oldest Austronesian language family. There are 19 officially recognized regional languages, and the seven major dialects spoken are: Tagalog, Cebuano, Bisaya/Binisaya, Ilocano, Hiligaynon (Ilongo), Bicol, and Lineyte-Samarnon (Waray). There are two official languages in the Philippines, Tagalog and English. The Philippines is predominantly Roman Catholic (80.6%), followed by Muslim Filipinos accounting for around 5.56% of the population2.

About Iloilo City

This challenge covers two neighbourhoods in the district of Arevalo, in Iloilo City, in the province of Iloilo, Philippines:

1. Barangay Santo Niño Sur 2. Barangay Santo Niño Norte

Both Sto. Niño Norte and Sto. Niño Sur are bounded on the north by the Batiano River and on the south by the Iloilo Strait that leads to the Sulu Sea. The shoreline is called “Villa Beach” and parts of it are prominent attractions because of open-air restaurants and resorts. Both the riverside and the seaside are lined with makeshift houses, informal settlers, and

dumpsites. Mounds of trash can be seen dumped or floating in the river.

Demographic Breakdown

Based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) official poverty report for 2015, 16.5% of Filipino families in both communities live below the poverty line, indicating they are unable to afford basic food and non-food needs, including shelter, clothing, health services, and transportation. A family of 5, on average, needs at least USD 167 (or Php 9,064)3 monthly to meet both basic food and non-food needs and to be classified as living at or just under the poverty line.

2 https://dfat.gov.au/geo/philippines/Pages/philippines-country-brief.aspx

3 Reference Exchange Rate Bulletin September 26, 2018, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) - Statistics. http://www.bsp.gov.ph/statistics/statistics_exchrate.asp.


Population Size of Both Neigbourhoods: 14,172 Education Level: Primary to College Sex Distribution: Male- 6,917; Female- 7,255 Average Household Size: 4 to 5 people Average Household Income: USD 74 to USD 110 (Php 4,000 to 5,999) monthly, which is below the national threshold in 2015 at USD 167 (Php 9,064) Major Industries: Retail shops, Fishing, Labour. A major part of the working age population becomes overseas Filipino workers. Public Amenities and Facilities: Primary School, Basketball court, Community Hall, Community Gym, Beach areas, Health centre

Figure 3. Public School

Figure 4. Neighbourhood Hall in Sto.Niño Norte

A further 5.7% of the families living under the poverty line live in extreme poverty, indicating that they are unable to afford even the most basic food needs. Most of these families earn less than USD 117 (Php 6,329) on average monthly.4 The families covered in this Challenge are living in extreme poverty.

4 2015 Poverty in the Philippines. Philippine Statistics Authority. https://psa.gov.ph/sites/default/files/2015_povstat_FINAL.pdf


Sources of Income

Sto. Niño Norte and Sto. Niño Sur in Arevalo are both coastal communities, and as such, some community members are engaged in income-generating fishing activities. Other typical sources of income in the community include waged/salaried work, employment by the local government, and self-employment (owners of microbusinesses). The most common form of income generation in the community is employment as a carpenter/construction worker/plumber/general labourer.

OCCUPATION NUMBER

Self-employed (Store owner, poultry/livestock raiser)

166

Employee (Public/Private) 234

Teacher (Public/Private) 72

OFW/Seafarer 163

Medical-related profession 25

Carpenter/Construction worker/Plumber 820

Laborer 852

Janitor/Gardener 31

Secretary/Clerk/Encoder/Computer operator/Programmer

62

Sales Clerk/Receptionist 219

Driver (Public Utility Jeepney, Cab, Pedicab) 811

Fisherman 246

Vendor 297

Dressmaker 20

Hairdresser/Beautician 95

Businessman 66

Electrician/Technician 46

TOTAL 4,225


Household Budget Breakdown

Household income: The families in both communities earn on average USD 74 to USD 110 (Php 4,000 to 5,999) per month, which is below the national threshold in 2015 at USD 167 (Php 9,064)

Monthly Household Expenditure Breakdown

EXPENDITURE AMOUNT (PHP) AMOUNT (USD)

Food 3,000 55

Education 1,500 28

Transportation 1,500 28

Water Expense 500 9

Electricity Bill 600 11

Miscellaneous and Medicines 1,000 18

TOTAL 8,100 149

Balance from Income of Php 5,999

(-2,101) (39)

*Monthly expenditure is from Gloria Batallion (User Journey)

The Php 2,101 deficit from the monthly income of the family is usually borrowed from micro-finances institutions.


Figure 5. Houses made by illegal settlers raised on bamboo stilts near the riverside.

Figure 6. Shampoo sachets

Cultural Nuances

1. There is a lot of unofficial immigration in both Sto. Niño Norte and Sto. Niño Sur. It is common for families from other parts of the island to move to these communities and illegally settle near the seaside and riversides. Families construct makeshift houses raised above sea level on bamboo stilts and settle on property owned by other individuals. When property owners demand that illegal settlers leave or when rising sea levels necessitate a move, most families do not comply and instead choose to remain where they are. This is largely due to the fact that illegal settlers often live in extreme poverty and are not financially capable of relocating to areas designated for immigrants.

2. Because many Filipino residents subsist on limited incomes, single-use sachet packaging is heavily relied upon to make everyday goods more financially accessible, including toothpaste, food seasoning, shampoo, and cooking oil. Poor Filipinos can only afford to purchase basic goods in small packages, which is why major fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers produce so much of their products in sachet form. Currently, sachets are generally not recyclable unlike hard plastics and bottles that can

be sold to junk shops. Thus, sachets and other soft and flexible plastics are large contributors to the garbage problem.

3. A ‘barangay’ is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and it is a native Filipino term for village. Municipalities and cities in the Philippines are subdivided into barangays. In this brief, a barangay will be referred to as a neighbourhood. In Iloilo City, there are 180 barangays, and each one has a barangay captain who leads the community members.


Figure 7. Landfill location in Ilo Ilo

3. CURRENT WASTE SITUATION

Waste generation in the Philippines varies from 0.2 kg per capita per day in rural areas to close to 1.0 kg per capita per day in affluent urban areas.

In the areas of Sto. Niño Norte and Sto. Niño Sur, proper waste disposal is negligible at best.

Unfortunately, the residents of Barangay Sto. Niño Sur and Barangay Sto. Niño Norte who live in the seaside and riverside areas do not have the habit or discipline to regularly bring out their trash to main roads. Residents cite main reasons for this being the distance of the main road from their houses, as well as the presence of more convenient alternative disposal options (the river, the sea, their surroundings, unsanctioned open dumpsites, etc.) much nearer to their houses.

Furthermore, residents do not understand the incentive for proper waste disposal. If citizens do understand the need for waste disposal, they often ignore government laws, citing distance to garbage sites or ease of polluting on streets as the main reason.

Currently, solid waste is disposed of in open dumping sites, as well as sanitary and unsanitary landfills. Recycling is also weak because of the low monetary value attributed to waste, which means that recyclables are exchanged at junk shops or recycling centers for little monetary value (i.e., people are not paid enough to collect recyclables). For example, 1 kilogram of hard plastics (ex. plastic bottles) can be sold to junk shops for only USD 0.64, while soft plastics, like sachets, are not bought by junk shops at all. This low pricing contributes to the people’s low motivation to segregate and recycle solid waste. There are some local initiatives to promote household sorting and recycling, and “zero waste” initiatives are increasing plastic waste recycling, however uptake is still slow.


Figure 8. Unsanctioned dumpsite in Sto. Nino Sur

Figure 9. Calajunan Dumpsite Ilo Ilo City’s sanitary Landfill

Current Garbage Collection System

In 2011, the Philippines government attempted to address the problem of solid waste by passing the Republic Act 9003, better known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000”. The act was intended to create the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives towards a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste management program5. The Act requires that every neighbourhood establishes a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) which should be designed to receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable materials efficiently and in an environmentally-sound manner. Facilities built under the act should also address the following considerations:

● The building and/or land layout and equipment must be designed to accommodate efficient and safe materials processing, movement, and storage;

● The building must be designed to allow efficient and safe external access and to accommodate internal flow.

Unfortunately, solid waste management supervision and rules enforcement are weak. Although an established MRF is mandated by the government, not all neighbourhoods entirely comply. As of September 2018, the subject communities of this Challenge, Barangay Sto. Niño Sur and Barangay Sto. Niño Norte, don’t have operational MRFs (refer to Section 5 for a further discussion of the local MRFs).

According to the General Services Office, Iloilo City as a whole, is producing 300 metric tonnes of garbage every day in 2018. Every week, a city garbage truck passes through the main roads of Sto. Niño Sur and Barangay Sto. Niño Norte collecting garbage bags/sacks along the way.

5 REPUBLIC ACT 9003. https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2001/ra_9003_2001.htm


Figure 10. Ilo Ilo sanitary Landfill site

“Without sorting garbage at the household level (at the source), the landfill may not last for long as expected. So the other way for us to help is to practice segregation at home and not to mix our waste during collection.”

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office management specialist Mitzi Peñaflorida.

The trucks then go to Iloilo City’s sanitary landfill, Calajunan Dumpsite, to dispose of the garbage6. Only residual or excess waste is dumped at the landfill facility. Biodegradable garbage is segregated and made into compost to use as fertilizer leaving recyclables to go to the closest MRF.

This sanitary landfill is expected to last for ten years since its launch in 2016, but as of 2017 one quarter of the land is already full, dramatically decreasing the useful life of the landfill.

Opportunity Costs

Health

• Garbage build-up provides an ideal environment for the development of insects, pests, bacteria, and other disease-causing vectors. Further, waste accumulation often results in the contamination of air and water, and is a main cause of air and water-borne diseases.

• Large garbage heaps in the coastal areas create the ideal breeding ground for the insects that act as a vector for deadly diseases such as dengue and malaria. Of the 339 dengue cases in Iloilo province in 2016, 87 dengue cases were reported in Iloilo City alone. Together with the Mandurriao and the Molo districts, the Arevalo district (which includes the neighbourhoods of Sto. Niño Sur and Sto. Niño Norte) had the most number of dengue cases with 16. The City Health Officer Chief credited the distribution of larvicide and insecticides in all districts as one of the factors that contributed to decreasing the number of cases of dengue.

• Children especially 0-6 months, are heavily susceptible to diarrhea caused by bacteria. In 2015, there were 40 (18 male, 22 female) reported cases of diarrhea in the district of Arevalo, 25% of which were from neighbourhoods of Sto. Niño Sur and Sto. Niño Norte (Arevalo has 13 neighbourhoods in total). In 2016, that number decreased to 30 (17 male, 13 female).

6 P200-M sanitary landfill inaugurated in Iloilo City. http://www.iloilometropolitantimes.com/p200-m-sanitary-landfill-inaugurated-in-iloilo-city/.


Economic / Financial

• Items such as plastic bottles, glass bottles, paper and cardboard, metals, and other materials that can be sold to junk shops or recycling centers are left at informal dumpsites or not collected at all. Community members miss out on the opportunity to earn additional money from existing recycling mechanisms in the city.

Productivity

● Informal houses in dumpsites and garbage-filled surroundings provide environments that are not conducive nor ideal for studying, cooking, doing business, and other productive activities.

The Waste Value Chain

The creation of plastic and its associated value chain is a big factor in the waste that remains the in Philippines today.

The raw material creation of plastic comes from oil and natural gas extraction. Treating these raw materials results in polymers. The production process involves heating these polymers through various forms to create the desired plastic product, such as bags, boxes etc.

Products with a useful life of three years or more are referred to as durables and less than three years are referred to as non-durables. Non-durables, such as plastic bags and bottles, in lower income countries that do not have institutional recycling programs often result in waste accumulation in communities such as Sto. Nino Norte and Sur. In higher income countries, recycling programs have been in place since the 1980s. The collection of recyclable plastic takes the plastic and chops it into flakes, washes it to remove contaminants and then sells it back to end users to manufacture new products such as bottles, containers, clothing, carpet, plastic lumber, etc. That which is not recyclable ends up in landfills.


Figure 11. Daynah at home

“It already smells bad here because of the garbage

everywhere. But the stench gets even worse when we don’t

throw out our garbage every Sunday into the dumpsite by

the river.”

Daynah

4. CASE STUDIES

Case Study #1 – Daynah Taso

Name: Daynah Taso

Age: 16 years old

Sex: Female

Resident of: Riverside area. Daynah’s house is elevated on bamboo stilts by around 2 feet.

Family background: Daynah is the 6th child among 7 siblings. Her mother works as a cook in a catering service business and does laundry part-time. Her father works as a cycle rickshaw (pedicab or trisikad) driver. Her 5 older siblings are not living with her and her parents anymore because they have their own families.

Education background: She is currently studying as a Grade 10 student.

Other characteristics: Born and raised in the community.

Interactions with Waste

1. Throughout the work week, her family stores all their trash in a sack inside their house. Every Sunday, Daynah’s youngest brother picks up the sack, walks to the nearby illegal “dumpsite” by the river, and throws out the garbage there. He brings the empty sack back home for reuse.

2. Everyday afterschool, on her walk home, when Daynah approaches the vicinity of her house, she can usually smell garbage emanating from inside the house. She feels extremely uncomfortable when entering her house for the first time. After a few hours inside her house, she acclimatizes to the smell and goes about doing her homework and chores as normal.

3. Her family has not yet been affected by rising water levels and consequently has never experienced flooding where water and garbage in the water would reach their house. Their house is elevated on stilts because they are near the river.

4. Her family continues to live in the area because they could not afford to move to a cleaner place and build/rent a house. This is compounded by the fact that her parents have jobs close to the house.


“If I were to be part of the neighbourhood government, I would do a big cleanup here in the riverside.”

Daynah

Figure 12. Daynah’s family usually collects their garbage (not segregated) in a sack.

Research insights from Daynah’s Case

Even if garbage greatly bothers the community members, nobody takes the initiative to do cleanups and proper waste management. They subscribe to the idea that “since nobody is doing anything about it, why should I? If everybody is disposing of their garbage this way, why should I do it differently?” They are overwhelmed with the enormity of the problem, so they just let it be.


Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 10, Gloria points to where the water could possibly reach during high tide, but it never gets that high

“They (pointing to her neighbors) just throw the trash, without the sacks, near the river!

They reuse the sacks. That’s why the dumpsite is so messy! … Because nobody throws the garbage in sacks, I don’t use sacks anymore

too.”

Gloria

“If I were to be the neighbourhood captain, I will make sacks and sacks of oyster shells to make into a ‘seawall’, so that the water from

the high tide will not enter our area.”

Gloria

Figure 13. Gloria showing where the water comes to.

Case Study #2 – Gloria Batallion

Name: Gloria Batallion

Age: 37 years old

Sex: Female

Resident of: Seaside area. House is elevated on stilts by around 2 feet.

Family background: She has 3 children with her husband

Education background: College level

Work: Gloria does not work and spends the majority of her time at home. She sometimes does laundry for others and works as a dishwasher in a restaurant. Her husband works as a construction worker.

Other characteristics: She’s been living in the community for 16 years


1. Gloria usually starts her day by preparing meals for her family. She then sets about to clean the house. The family collects their garbage in a sack and when it is full, one of her children will dump it near the riverbank instead of bringing it outside or near the street (115 meters away from their house) as some of her neighbours do. Garbage collectors are scheduled to pick up trash at 10:00 am every morning but will only do so if families put their garbage out on the streets as required by the government.

2. During high tide, the area around her house floods. To combat this, her neighbours’ houses and her house are elevated by approximately 2 feet using stilts. As an additional precautionary measure, inside her house, there’s also another elevated area. When it floods, the water brings the trash from the unsanctioned dumping sites or the street back near the houses, but not actually in her house, as many others experience. Water has


“All this ground, its garbage and mud piled up over the years. WE always feel sick with coughs and colds because of the garbage and the stench.”

Gloria

never actually entered her house, rather waste is mostly what remains after flooding. She usually stays at home or either goes to work early when it is high tide, waiting for the water to subside until she returns. Gloria desperately wants a “seawall” to prevent the high tide going to their houses.

3. If given a chance, Gloria wants to live far from the riverside so as to not be constantly concerned with flooding. She continually worries about flooding and recognizes that if there is a natural disaster (such as a typhoon) they would not have enough resources to own or even rent a house away from the riverside. To compensate, her family elevates their house and manages any situations with flooding as they come.

4. Despite the unstable income of the family, Gloria and her husband make sure that they send their children in school because they believe that their children are the ones who can give them a better life.

Research Insights from Gloria’s Case

Families throw their garbage in any way that is convenient to them which later on becomes a habit and followed by the rest of the community.

Because they never experienced very high waters with garbage entering their house during high tides or floods, the families don’t do much about the garbage problem.


“The improper waste management system in our neighbourhood leaves a bad

impression about our community. Before, the neighbourhood built a Materials

Recovery Facility (MRF) as a place where garbage is sorted and recycled. However,

the project just stopped; I don’t know why. It’s not that there was not enough budget. There was budget. Maybe it was just not a

priority then.”

Reynold

Case Study #3: Reynold Galvan

Name: Reynold Galvan

Age: 22 years old

Sex: Male

Family background: 3rd child out of 5 children, all boys. Mother is the neigbhourhood peace and security officer. Father is unemployed and often stays at home.

Education background: He finished a degree in Secondary Education in Iloilo Science and Technology University, cum laude.

Work: Reynold just graduated from college and is now fulfilling his duties as the community government’s Sangguniang Kabataan, or SK (Youth Council) Chairman while studying for the Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET) this September 2018. Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) provides opportunity for young people to directly participate in local governance.

Other characteristics: Reynold is a former sponsored child of World Vision. He honed his leadership skills through the various activities and trainings of World Vision when he was younger. Currently, he’s the SK Chairman of his neighbourhood; President of the Parish Youth Ministry; President of Iloilo City Pag-asa Youth Association of the Philippines; leader of an organization helping the out-of-school youth; and president among the SK Chairmen and Chairwomen in the whole district of Arevalo, Iloilo.


1. When Reynold finished high school, nobody thought that he could continue to college because his family didn’t have any financial resources to support him. Unbeknownst to his parents, he applied for a college scholarship and enrolled. He became a scholar of the government through the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program). Despite financial constraints, he was a very active student leader and even graduated cum laude.

2. During the campaign period when he was running for SK Chairman, he went to the outskirts of the neighbourhood to visit the riverside and seaside houses. He saw for himself the gravity of the garbage problem. He believes that not all neighbourhood officials are aware of it.


“Garbage is really the number one problem here in our neighbourhood. If you don’t visit the houses near the river and the beach area, you really can’t imagine or fathom how people live constantly being surrounded by so

much waste and garbage. I wish more people from the local government could really see for themselves the garbage situation in those areas. As SK Chairman, I will lobby for the continuation of the MRF project, hold

cleanup drives, and hire neighbourhood janitors who will lead the regular cleanups.”

Reynold

Research insights from Reynold’s Case

There is a lack of awareness among the people (non-informal settlers) not living by the riverside and seaside about the gravity of the waste management problem in those areas. The more affluent residents in the neighbourhood only know of the resorts and restaurants in the seaside area.

Solid waste management is not a priority of the local government even if there is available budget that can be allocated for it. There is a general lack of awareness about the gravity of the solid waste problem and its adverse effects to children and community members. High ranking neighbourhood officials don’t really visit the riverside and seaside dumpsites because they have other priorities. Their other projects are drug abuse prevention, implementing a curfew, and establishment and improvement of the health centers.


5. EXISTING ATTEMPTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY

Existing Attempt 1: Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay Sto. Niño Sur

Background: The neighbourhood planned a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) designed to receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable materials efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.

Objectives: To have a facility and system for receiving, sorting, processing, and storing solid waste.

Results: None

Timeline: None

Budget: N/A

Implementation Partners: Local government

What worked: The neighbourhood captain had strong political will in constructing an MRF in the neighbourhood.

What didn’t work: This MRF did not ever become fully operational because there was no MRF management committee and it was not prioritized by the neighbourhood officials. The MRF is just used to dump unsorted waste.

Existing Attempt 2: Nets

Background: The barangay local government unit of Sto. Niño Sur put nets in the coastal boundary of each neighbourhood to filter the garbage coming from other neighbourhoods.

Objectives: The nets act as a barrier for garbage not to flow into the area of the neighbourhoods.

Results: The nets were easily destroyed by strong currents.

Timeline: 2016

Budget: Unknown

Implementation Partners: Local government

What didn’t work: The nets got worn out due to the strong water current and other factors. After they were damaged, they were never replaced by the officials. Despite this, the top neighbourhood official in Barangay Sto. Niño Sur is still considering placing nets again.


Existing Attempt 3: Oyster shells as “seawalls”

Background: For communities living along the coastline of rivers or seas, incoming surges of waves and water brought upon by the high tide or storms pose a threat to their houses. Oyster “seawalls” are seen to be one solution to this problem. Oyster shells collected by the residents are stacked on the soil along the coastline, effectively creating an oyster reef or a wall that deflects incoming water and garbage, or at the very least dampening them to have a less invasive effect on communities.

Objectives: Impede the flow of garbage and water by effectively using oyster seashells

Results: Water from the high tides or storms flow to the residential area but not enough to cause flooding inside the elevated houses

Timeline: Ongoing

Budget: N/A

Implementation Partners: Residents / households

What worked:

● Oyster reefs are organic and can dynamically grow together with the rising sea-levels. ● This is an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution. ● Residents took initiative to get oyster shells in the stores or restaurants that sell oysters and collect

it in a sack. Local neighborhood officials also supported the residents.

What didn’t work: Oysters are still not as tough as conventional seawalls made of concrete or granite. Conditions have to be ideal for the oyster reefs to grow. It is a one-time initiative and band-aid solution only.

Additional Resources

How Oysters Can Protect Houses From Hurricanes. https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/05/oyster-walls/361594/.

Ocean-Friendly Oyster 'Sea Walls' May Provide Cost-Effective Hurricane Defense. https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/oyster-reefs-sea-wall-hurricane-preparedness/27395759.


Figure 14. Locals waiting in line to sell trash.

6. Existing Attempts in the Other Communities

Existing Attempt 1: Pag-asa sa Basura in BASECO, Manila

Background: Pag-asa sa Basura (literally “hope found in garbage”) is an established collection system wherein community members, called recycling entrepreneurs, are given fair compensation (money, gifts-in-kind, vouchers, etc.) in exchange for plastic waste. Because many Filipinos subsist on limited incomes, single-use sachet packaging is heavily relied upon to make everyday goods more financially accessible, including toothpaste, food seasoning, shampoo, and cooking oil. The producers of sachet packaging, including Procter & Gamble, are increasingly criticized for the disastrous pollution levels in the Philippines. As a result, P&G grabbed this opportunity to create a sustainable solid waste management system and an effective sachet waste solution through a project in BASECO, Manila.

Objectives: Establish a community-based plastic collection system

Achieved outputs:

● Improved junk shop operations & mechanisms ● Strengthened Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), including implementing an organized MRF

management committee ● Established a collection and payment system for recycling activities

Implementation Partners: World Vision, together with The Plastic Bank (https://www.plasticbank.org/) and Procter & Gamble.

Timeline: Completed - August 2017 to February 2018 (6 months)

Budget: Approximately USD 15,650 (Php 850,000)

What worked:

● The program had strong partnership with existing civil society organizations and schools. The structured partnership contributed greatly to increasing participating in the program.

● An MRF management committee composed of different stakeholders ensured all perspectives had a voice at the table.

● A regular and consistent schedule of collection of plastic waste from the community members. ● An organized and fairly attractive incentive system that included vouchers for goods and services,

and items like shoes and household products helped to ensure participation.


Figure 15. Garbage in Ilo Ilo.

● Awareness drives on solid waste management. The project produced and distributed information and education collateral to drive awareness among community members on solid waste management.

What didn’t work:

● Some incentives that were household products were also in sachet packages, contributing once again to the plastic waste problem.

Press release: Waste segregation schemes launched in BASECO. https://www.worldvision.org.ph/waste-segregation-schemes-launched-baseco/


Existing Attempt 2: Waste to Wages in BASECO, Manila

Background: The Municipal Waste Recycling Program (MWRP), a five-year (2016-2021) USAID-funded initiative, was designed to reduce land-based sources of marine plastics pollution in Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. USAID, through the program, provides grants and technical assistance for promising solid waste management and waste recycling efforts in urban and periurban areas. In addition to other MWRP projects funded by USAID in the Philippines since 2016, it is now funding Waste to Wages to BASECO, Manila.

Objectives: The main project objectives of the Waste to Wages project are to improve livelihood opportunities for informal sector waste collectors and promote increased household compliance on waste segregation and recycling. The project identifies and implements community-based solutions to increase the volume of plastics recycled in the low-income neighborhood and, consequently, reduce leakage into the adjacent river and ocean.

Timeline: Ongoing - March 31, 2018 to March 31, 2019

Implementation Partners: World Vision Philippines

Budget: USD 100,000

What worked/What didn’t work: World Vision’s Pag-asa sa Basura project funded by The Plastic Bank and Procter & Gamble in the same area was a great springboard for Waste to Wages. Since the project has just started, there are no project results yet to draw lessons from.

Reference: Municipal Waste Recycling Program Philippines Country Profile. https://urban-links.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/201805_MWRP-PHILIPPINES-2-pager_Final.pdf.

Existing Attempt 3: Waste-to-energy landfill powerplants

Background: The Montalban Landfill Methane Recovery and Power Generation Project is a power plant designed to generate clean electricity by collecting methane gas from landfills. The facility is located within the Montalban Solid Waste Disposal Facility, an existing government approved sanitary landfill in the municipality of Rodriguez, a province of Rizal, Philippines.

Objectives: The project aims to improve the environment, respond to the need for clean energy, and contribute towards local and national sustainable development through economic and environmental contributions.

Timeline: The project was implemented starting July 31, 2007 with an expected operational lifetime period of 12 years, ending in 2019.

Implementation Partners: The project participants are Carbon Capital Markets, Ltd. In the UK and Montalban Methane Power Corp. in the Philippines.


Budget: Information unavailable

What worked:

● Initially, the plant was able to produce only 1 MW of power out of the total 15 MW capacity of the plant. In 2011, the plant was already producing 9 MW. It sells the power to Manila Electric Co. (MERALCO).

What didn’t work:

● Ecological Waste Coalition, or EcoWaste, (http://www.ecowastecoalition.org/)’s Secretary, Romy Hidalgo, said in 2008: "With the push for the so-called 'energy from waste,' we see no end to dumping since there is now a purported use for landfills. This will not encourage our society to aim and work for zero waste." According to EcoWaste, methane comes from dumping, a destructive way to manage garbage. So landfill-gas-to-energy (LFGTE) power cannot be deemed a renewable energy source.7

● “You generate electricity when you burn the waste. But the cost of cleaning up is high. The cost of electricity the plant will generate is not that competitive compared to that of a coal-fired power plant,” Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWM) President and Chief Executive Officer Rufo Colayco said, about building a waste-to-energy plant.8

Other similar projects:

Philippines turns trash into clean energy windfall. http://globalnation.inquirer.net/70501/philippines-turns-trash-into-clean-energy-windfall.

Existing Attempt 4: Plastics turned to Armchairs

Background: The City of Iloilo General Services Office is partnering with the Villar SIPAG Foundation to turn the city’s plastic wastes into school armchairs. The city government will supply the waste plastics from the city’s sanitary landfill to the foundation. It requires 40 kilos of plastic to produce one armchair, and the city government proposed that out of every two armchairs produced, one will go to the makers while the other one will go to the city.

Timeline: March 2017-present

Implementing Partners: Iloilo City government

Budget: Information unavailable

7 Rizal's $33-M methane power plant a 'band-aid solution' – green group. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/109118/rizal-s-33-m-methane-power-plant-a-band-aid-solution-8211-green-group/story/.

8 Solid Waste Management Firm Mulls Power Plant. https://www.doe.gov.ph/energist/solid-waste-management-firm-mulls-power-plant.


Other similar projects:

Armchairs from plastic waste in Las Pinas City. https://www.philstar.com/business/science-and-environment/2018/06/21/1826387/recycling-factories-make-armchairs-plastic-waste

Existing Attempt 5: Ecological Solid Waste Management Program 2002-2012 in Municipality of Sta. Barbara, Iloiilo

Background: In 1956, Sta. Barbara was the cleanest town in the country. More than four decades later, it was the dirtiest in Iloilo province. There was trash everywhere, garbage collection was very poor, and residents had no idea what waste segregation was. To top it all off, a dumpsite could be found right in the center of town-five meters away from the public market and 10 meters from the communal artesian well. With this, the local government implemented “No segregation, no collection policy”, in which the residents should separate their biodegradable from their non-biodegradable trash. Households are given back their trash if they do not comply and some have actually been fined for repeated offenses. Biodegradable materials are stored and turned into compost that is distributed free to local farmers. Non-biodegradable products, on the other hand, are recycled and sold to junk shops.

Objectives: Info Unavailable

Timeline: 2002-present

Implementing Partners: Local government and waste authority

Budget: N/A

What worked: The municipality strictly and effectively implemented the policy and the resident’s participation in the program resulted in success.


7. STAKEHOLDERS

Solutions will need to consider the following actors within the community.

Stakeholders Detractors Project Supporters & Champions

Resource Partners Physical Assets

Local Neighbourhood government

Residents (if the convenience of not managing their waste properly will be taken away without incentives)

St. Niño Sur – Local Neighbourhood government and to official

The Barangay Captain in Sto Niño Sur was once part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)

Neighbourhood Hall

Schools in the neighbourhoods

Consumer packaged goods (CPGs) whose sachet packaging significantly contributes to the garbage problem

St.Niño Sur – Local Neighbourhood Youth council chairman

Environmental Management Bureau Neighbourhood covered gym

Health centers and city hospital

World Vision community volunteers

General Services office Neighbourhood Health Centres

Iloilo City General Services Office

150 organized and mobilized World Vision child monitors/community volunteers. 30 Community-managed Savings and Credit Association (CoMSCA) groups of 20 to 25 members each

Villar SIPAG Foundation

Neighbourhood health workers

Local Public Officials

Legislative and administrative supports from the City Government of Iloilo


8. COMMUNITY ASSETS & RESOURCES

World Vision Assets and Resources

NAME OF GROUPS TOTAL MEMBERS

Child monitors 150 (all female)

Community Managed Savings and Credit Association Agents

N/A

Registered Families with World Vision Unknown

Youth leaders Unknown

9. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & REFERENCES

Link to photos and videos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QPTCd6LGUVHmEfaw7

Google map location link: Santo Niño Sur: https://goo.gl/maps/vntcFWFbe5s. Santo Niño Norte: https://goo.gl/maps/n6kuUvvEeeo.

Province website: http://www.iloilo.gov.ph/about-iloilo

Documents

How might we ½nd value in waste?...the State of Victoria), the Philippines extends 1,770 km from north to south and 1,100 km from east to west. It consists of 7,107 islands and islets