ILOILO City – The senior citizens of Barangay Calumpang, Molo district are spearheading the village’s Solid Waste Management Program (SWMP) dubbed “Tiangge sa Basura” to reduce plastic waste.
The barangay council of Calumpang and the Senior Citizens Affairs Office (SCAO)-Calumpang has been teaming up for this program since 2019. Recyclable garbage such as plastic bottles from residents are being exchanged for goods.
Each year, SCAO-Calumpang is receiving plastic bottles and other recyclable materials valued between P19,000 and P25,000.
According to Punong Barangay Robert Niño, this program also helped their constituents during the pandemic. While they were being taught waste segregation, they availed goods such as rice and canned goods for the recyclable garbage they turned over to the barangay.
The SCAO, with around 1,350 members, is funding the “Tiangge sa Basura” using their membership fee as startup capital.
Plastic bottles and recyclable materials turned over to them are transformed into decorative products by the senior citizens themselves.
Niño said the finish products are either sold or given as souvenirs to visitors.
“Tiangge sa Basura” is actually an off-shot of a prevuous solid waste management program of the barangay dubbed “Search For Little Miss Garbie” (from the root word “garbage”), “Search for Lola Garbie” and “Search for Nanay Garbie”.
“Instead nga kwarta ang ihulog nila sa ila kandidata, mga basura ,” said Niño.
Candidates with highest peso value or worth of garbage would be declared winners. Candidates were also wearing gowns made of recyclable materials.
The “Garbie” beauty pageant search was halted in 2020 because of the pandemic but according to Niño, they are planning to revive it this year in time for their barangay fiesta in August.
Mayor Jerry Treñas lauded Barangay Calumpang’s program and described this as a “heroic initiative to protect the environment.”
“Kun kita nagatindog para sa kaayuhan sang aton mga kasimanwa, maprotektahan naton ang aton palibot kag malab-ot ang kauswagan,” the city mayor said./PN
