Pasig gov't breaks ground for barangay community eco hub

The local government of Pasig City held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a community eco hub in Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City on Friday, March 11.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto led the ceremonial rites, he was joined by representatives of the City Environment & Natural Resources Office (CENRO), the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and plastic recycling company, Green Antz.

The project was made in partnership with the Green Antz, and USAID under it’s “Clean Cities, Blue Ocean” (CCBO) program.

Launched in August 2019, the USAID’s CCBO program aims to resolve plastic pollution in the oceans by creating methods to reduce the amount of plastic waste, particularly in urban cities and areas.

The community eco hub will be built as an improvement of the city’s traditional materials recovery facility (MRF) in order to integrate a more efficient waste management system.

The waste that will be collected in the barangay will be turned into ecobricks and other materials for composting at the eco hub.

Ecobricks are compact blocks made from single-use plastics that may be utilized as construction materials for infrastructure projects within the city.

During the event, the Rotary Club of Wack Wack also turned over "bokashi balls" to the city. These are made of a mixture of dried mud, containing kneaded activated effective microorganisms (EMs), that may be used to clean polluted rivers and lakes.

“Let’s treat solid waste as a resource...Makakabawas na tayo sa plastic at iba pang basura, makakapag-produce pa tayo ng goods na magagamit din sa ating komunidad (Let’s treat solid waste as a resource...We will be able to reduce our plastics and other waste while we are also able to produce goods that will benefit our community),” Sotto said in a Facebook post.

In a speech at the event, Sotto emphasized the need to strengthen the local circular economy, citing the negative impacts of improper plastic waste disposal and polluted waterways.

He also mentioned that it is often difficult to invest in long-term planning and innovation due to many factors such as the term limits for local officials and lack of resources.

"Ultimately the goal here is for not just a cleaner Pasig, but for a healthier Pasig. This can only be possible as we strengthen the linkages and the partnerships between the local government, the barangay-level government, the non-governmental organizations, and the private sector," Sotto said.

Sotto hoped to also engage ordinary citizens in these projects to foster growth in their communities.