The municipal government of Datu Abdullah Sangki, Maguindanao operates a Centralized Material Recovery Facility where segregated garbage from households is collected once a week. Drug surrenderees were hired by the LGU to assist in the operation of the CMRF to give them a new start in life and provide for their daily needs.

DATU ABDULLAH SANGKI, Maguindanao, Jan. 15 (PIA) -- The municipal government of Datu Abdullah Sangki is beefing up its advocacy on cleanliness and protecting the environment with their "zero-waste plan".

Mayor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu calls on his constituents to support the LGU's initiatives by reducing solid waste and thereby improving waste management. "To all my constituents in Datu Abdullah Sangki, let us all be one as we become a green municipality. Let us show everyone what Halal Governance is. A governance model wherein there is accountability, credibility and transparency in transforming a 6th class municipality into the Premiere Gateway of development in the Bangsamoro Region."

The move aims to show care for the environment and contribute to the overall health and wellbeing of the residents especially in this time of pandemic.

"We can greatly contribute to this by practicing proper waste disposal. We can do this by segregating garbage at our homes and letting the LGU personnel collect it at designated collection areas," the young executive added.

The zero-waste plan is highlighted by the Enhanced K-3 Program (Kabuhayan, Kagandahan at Kalinisan), an annual cleanliness and beautification program where winning barangays receive cash and livelihood grants.

"For the enhanced K-3 program, our constituents were engaged in a way that every household is evaluated as part of the overall rating of their barangay. In this way, each barangay replicates the program down to the purok or sitio level," Mayor Mangudadatu said.

LGU DAS also operates a Centralized Material Recovery Facility (CMRF) where segregated garbage from households is collected once a week.

Solid non-biodegradable materials are then processed and produced as "ecobricks" which are used as artificial construction materials for projects by the local government. Drug surrenderees were also hired to assist in the operation of the CMRF to give them a new start in life and provide for their daily needs.

Aside from this, the LGU-DAS produces organic fertilizers for local agripreneurs through a vermicasting facility. Inputs to this are sourced from farmers in the area.

National Zero Waste Month is observed every January pursuant to Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Zero waste is defined as an advocacy that promotes the designing and managing of products and processes to avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials. (ORVRivera)