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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Muntinlupa LGU aims to clean Laguna Lake with Japanese 'bokashi balls'

Muntinlupa LGU aims to clean Laguna Lake with Japanese 'bokashi balls'

Published Jan 23, 2023 02:38 pm

The Muntinlupa City government is using Japanese technology to improve the overall quality of the Laguna Lake.

The city government’s Lake Management Office (LMO), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Muntinlupa City Central and Rotaract Club of Alabang Bagong Paraiso, launched "Project ADBOKASHI” on Jan. 22 that aims to improve bodies of water in Muntinlupa and across the country.

Bokashi balls being thrown into the Laguna Lake in Muntinlupa (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)

Bokashi balls (Photo from Muntinlupa PIO)

Mayor Ruffy Biazon welcomed the cooperation of the city government, Rotary and Rotaract that focuses on improving water quality in Laguna Lake for the long-term as part of his administration's 7K Agenda for the environment.

More than 1,000 bokashi balls were released into the lake as part of a two-year experiment to see if the water quality would improve and to counteract the effects of rapid urbanization around the lake.

The project will involve releasing bokashi into Laguna de Bay at least every six months with periodic water quality testing to be conducted by the LMO.

Bokashi balls are made of organic materials such as garden soil, effective microorganisms (EM1), molasses and rice hulls that break down toxins and bad bacteria in water.

Dubbed locally as "mabuhay balls," bokashi were also proven in Japan to deodorize bodies of water and reduce siltation.

Recently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) used these to improve the water quality in Boracay's wetlands as part of the rehabilitation of its beaches.

The organic "deodorizer" balls were introduced into the country by the Asian National Institute in Angono, Rizal, in 2008.

Before the recent release into Laguna de Bay, 6,000 bokashi balls were first used in Muntinlupa in 2019 in Jamboree Lake in Barangay Poblacion, which is recognized as the smallest natural lake in the country.

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