Municipality of Kalibo SWM/IEC Orientation

Kalibo, Aklan. The Municipal Government of Kalibo, through its Solid Waste Management Services Department held a two-day Orientation and IEC Planning Workshop from November 17 to 18, 2010 at the Kalibo Municipal Conference Hall, 3rd Floor of Kalibo Municipal Building, Kalibo, Aklan.

Honorable Mayor William S. Lachica has issued Executive Order No. 018, Series of 2010, dated November 5, 2010 – Reorganizing the Municipal Solid Waste Management Board of the Municipality of Kalibo in the Province of Aklan. The Executive Order issued is in support to Republic Act No. 9003 entitled “An Act Providing for an Ecological Solid Waste Management Program, Creating the Necessary Institutional Mechanisms and Incentives, Declaring Certain Acts Prohibited and Providing Penalties, Appropriating Funds Therefore, and For Other Purposes.” Furthermore, it is encouraged through this executive order, that Solid Waste Management Board will take the lead in the implementation of the SWM Program.

During the two-day orientation and planning workshop, Ms. Adorado T. Reynaldo presented The Waste Management Situation; Dr. Emette L. Custodio – Medical Specialist/Member, Local Health Board was tasked to present the Health Impacts of Improper Solid Waste Management; Fundamentals of ESWM and its Legal Framework by Mr. Heherson R. Alvarez – Ecosystem Management Coordinator; Roles and Responsibilities of MSWM Board, Agreement on the MSWMB Working Protocols and Planning Worskhop by Ms. Maricel M. Bechayda – MLGOO, LGU Kalibo;

Some inherent issues on waste management were presented the delegates were informed about the ecological on solid waste management framework of the Municipality of Kalibo. Waste segregation at source is being encouraged to Non- Biodegradable, Residual/Hazardous and Biodegradable (home composting) by the ESW Management Board. This includes waste materials from establishments/institution and the households. In the survey on waste composition, 42% comes from kitchen waste, 19 % are paper, 17% are plastic, 6% are metal, 7% are garden waste and while 9% comes from unidentified waste materials.

In the RA 9003 of 2000, Sec 2 states that there is NO issuance of business permit once the establishment will not follow the provisions on proper disposal of their waste materials. In Kalibo, there is one good example of a business establishment who religiously follows this provision. Filbake/Bread and Butter earned more or less Php300K alone for one year practicing Materials Recovery Facility in their company backyard. Indeed, “May Pera sa Basura.”

Presently, the Municipality of Kalibo have completed the purchase of Rotary Drum Composter Composting Supplies at a cost of P529,000.00 for the Kalibo Composting Facility located at Tinigao, Kalibo, Aklan; implemented the Enactment of Municipal Ordinance 2009-004 otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Code of Kalibo, and Printed the Environmental Citation Tickets and Component of ESW Management Board among others.

The board agreed to also enlist the support of all the Civic Organizations, the Academe, Tri-Media, Sangguniang Kabataan/Youths, and the like, to help conduct community service and keep the passion of advocacy on environmental concerns.

To wrap up the two-day orientation and workshop, the SWM Board members sealed it with a covenant by signing a document to support the Ecological Solid Waste Management Code of Kalibo.