By Leilanie Adriano/PNA
LAOAG CITY — Paper flowers, necklace and bracelets made of recycled papers are helping out a community of parolees and probationaries earn a living by selling it to interested buyers.
Priced at PHP50 to PHP150 depending on its size and design, these products are usually direct orders from customers, mostly composed of balikbayans, resort owners, and friends.
To further enhance their skills, a model village on solid waste management in Poblacion, Burgos, Ilocos Norte facilitated a hands-on training on waste diversion.
“Not all wastes are trash, they can be cash (in) if you add some love and wit to it,” said Poblacion village chief Joegie Jimenez before some 150 parolees and probationaries, who attended a skills training on waste diversion at the Burgos municipal auditorium on Tuesday.
After a short program, the participants were taught how to make leis, bracelets, flowers, vases, trash cans and ecobricks, among others, which were all made from old brochures, magazines, and other recycled materials.
For the participants, the skills training is a big help not only for their livelihood but also for waste reduction.
As vice president of the Volunteer Probation Aide in Ilocos Norte, Jimenez said Wednesday that Parole and Probation Administration officer Lorelie May Bacnat personally requested his team to conduct the outreach program on waste diversion, which they are now applying in the village.
“After our benchmarking activity in Imus, Bacoor, Cavite and learned the best practices of Quezon City government on solid waste management, we were inspired to make it work in our village and the rest is history,” Jimenez said, noting that the project is in support of the national government’s intensified solid waste management program.
After the training, the Parole and Probation Office in Ilocos Norte plans to tap the services of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to help them market their waste diversion products through local trade fairs and exhibits.
