By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Ensuring compliance with his directive to ensure responsible practices in disposing of garbage, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led an inspection of the centralized Materials Recovery Facility in Marikina City on Monday.
During the ocular visit, the President embarked on a walkthrough of the facility’s various systems for waste recovery, recycling, and reuse, which he hailed as a model that can also be replicated by other local government units (LGUs).
He explained the concept of circular economy in a statement, “Dahil nagagamit as much as possible lahat ng mga maaari pang maulit na gamitin, na-recycle, ay nagagagawa nila ng paraan. At ito ay dapat ang maging template at nagiging template na ngayon sa lahat ng iba’t ibang lungsod sa Pilipinas lalo na siyempre dito sa NCR.”
Other waste disposal interventions and initiatives that earned praise from President Marcos Jr. include the following:
- Deployment of a trash catcher along Marikina River
- Processing of biodegradable waste into compost
- Processing plastics into products such as bags, bricks, and materials for school desks
- Clearing no-build zones along the river
- Relocation of structures and residents away from the waterway
These are some of the components of an effective waste collection system that the President cited as part of a bigger push towards waste-to-energy initiatives that would address the problem of perennial flooding aggravated by improper garbage disposal.
He went on to inspect the ongoing construction of Marikina River Linear Park—a 11-kilometer stretch of recreational space integrated with 428.57 hectares of urban green spaces, which will serve as a bioshield and localized flood buffer, as well as a physical barrier to discourage illegal dumping of waste.
The Chief Executive wrapped up his inspection by calling for enhanced cooperation between government agencies and the Marikina City LGU, as well as further interventions, including enhanced anti-deforestation campaigns and construction of water impounding facilities with help from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). (with report from Kenneth Paciente | PTV News)
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