Communities and community organizations are in a unique position to significantly reduce the amount of garbage produced in their society. Following garbage disposal protocols not only helps to keep the environment clean, but it also improves the community's overall health. Our environment is healthier because waste is properly disposed of, which means there are less health risks and hazards to effect us. The combined voices can urge government authorities to take notice of the issue, and industry to be more conscious of its duties. I now have the opportunity to become one of the voices of our community. This blog is the continuation of Blog Entry # 1, entitled ANGAT ANG BAYAN KO!(Community Issues/Concerns) and Blog Entry # 2 entitled "Paano A-ANGAT ang bayan ko?" Community Issues Pt. 2 (Baranggay Officials' Point of View). This blog will discuss the actions that the community of Angat Bulacan took for community waste management.
Figure 1. Baranggay Sta. Cruz Angat, Bulacan Cleaning Operation ( Photo Courtesy by Jean M. Dionicio in Facebook post )
Sta. Barangay Cruz Angat, Bulacan has been dealing with drainage issues; waste has been blocking the drainage for a long time, producing flooding and emitting a foul odor that harms residents living near the drainage. This situation was reported to the Baranggay Officials, who conducted a cleaning operation and removed all wastes that had been stuck in the drainage for a long period on February 12,2022.
"Masaya kasi [...] sa wakas natanggal na rin 'yung mga basura sa kanal [...] at salamat din sa mga Baranggay Officials na naglaan ng oras para linisin 'yung kanal na'tin" - anonymously said by one of the residents in Angat.
Keeping a community functional and efficient is a never-ending endeavor. To ensure that every aspect of a community is as functioning as it should be, ongoing investments are expected. Unfortunately, most people concentrate on the obvious aspects of their lives, neglecting the invisible aspects such as plumbing and drainage. This is true until something goes wrong and the damage is too great to bear before they realize it.
Drains that are clogged can have a variety of health implications for residents. It promotes the growth of microorganisms, which causes allergies and disorders. The drain obstruction prevents water from moving, resulting in a flow back. You will notice slow water drainage at this point, and it may even become stagnant. This water contains bacteria, and the longer you use the sink, the more viruses and contamination you risk.
"Sana matuto na 'yung mga tao na mag lagay ng kanilang basura sa tama [ basurahan ] para hindi na bumara pa sa kanal" - she added.
Figure 2. Baranggay Officials removing posters after the election ( Photo Courtesy to Facebook page of Angat, Bulacan Municipality )
Figure 2 shows Barangay authorities removing all the election posters after the election. As can be seen, there is still a significant amount of waste along the sideways. It also illustrates another issue that our community faces: waste collection. Angat residents rarely see a truck collecting rubbish, resulting in overflowing waste. I also noted in Blog Entry #2 that we require another garbage collection truck in order to avoid this type of overflow.
"Isang kalat din kasi 'yung mga poster na 'yan [...] kaya mabuting tinanggal nila matapos ang eleksyon"
I asked Kagawad Mille Cruz on what his opinion about the waste management problem that we had in our community.
"Marami kasi nagtatapon ng basura sa mga tabing kalsada kahit hindi araw ng hakot mga naglalabas na o nagtatapon na nang basura. Nilalagyan naman namin na 'bawal magtapon ng basura dito' [...] may multa o kapatusahan ang mahuhuli, pero marami pa rin gumagawa no'n [ magtapon ng basura sa klasa] wala eh, marami talagang pasaway na tao" - he said.
Question: Ano po kaya sa tingin niyong paraan para masolusyunan ang problema natin sa basura bilang kagawad?
"May ordinansa naman na talaga na bawal magtapon nang basura [...] siguro kailangan lang higpitan ang pagpapatupad nito at tutukan mabuti ang pagbabantay sa mga Lugar na madalas tapunan [...] para kung sakali may mahuli [...] talagang paparusahan"
Waste management is crucial because it protects the environment from the damaging effects of waste's inorganic and biodegradable elements. Waste mismanagement can lead to water contamination, land erosion, and air pollution. If waste is collected and managed properly, it can be recycled.
Community participation is important because it is a component of a discourse in which organizations and communities may make decisions to build social capital. Stories on the value of community engagement range from changing local policy and service provision to helping define and envisage a community's future, resulting in not only societal change but also global impacts. Waste management can be solved at any time through community engagement.
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