By Ercel Maandig
Cagayan de Oro City – At least two barangays in this city are part of the “trash trap” project that will be initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Office 10 (DENR-10).
The project would be a collaboration between two barangays namely barangays Puntod and Lapasan, DENR-10 and the Community Local Environment and Natural Resources (CLENRO).
The project is also aimed at minimizing urban flooding in the city which has already become a perennial problem every time rainy season starts.
Lapasan village Chief Julito Ogsimer said that they have identified 3 sitios for the installation of ‘Trash Trap project, and these are La Paz 1, San Isidro and LapSap. It will be managed by the Federation of 28 Zone leaders of the village of the “Trash to Cash” program of the city government.
CLENRO Officer Engr. Armin Cuenca said that the Trash to Cash program of the City Government started in year 2019 during the full operation of the Sanitary landfill of the city and adopted in the administration of Mayor Rolando Uy.
On October 25, all sitio leaders of the two Villages will converge in an orientation regarding the project at Lapasan Covered Court.
In an interview, DENR-10 Regional Director Henry A. Adornado said the project will be supported by his agency, CLENRO, the 12 coastal villages of the City, National Government Agencies such as BFAR, DoT, DILG, DSWD, DPWH, PNP, PCG,4TH ID PHILIPPINE ARMY, and private entities, like as Pepsi cola company and religious sector Couples for Christ.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to institutionalize the coastal cleanup activity and adopt the digital monitoring platform was entered into by the supporting agencies, purposely to address the garbage problem in the coastal area of this city.
Adornado added that to augment program, the said parties involve has agreed to establish a Pilot Trash Trap to reduce the garbage flow to the sea, motivate coastal communities, as well as to innovate local solutions and promote an income generating trash reduction management community-based enterprise.
The ‘Trash Trap’ establishment will cover Bitan-ag creek in Lapasan up to the aforementioned sitios.
A total of Php100,000 will be subsidized first by DENR for 6 months to augment the honorarium of 2 caretakers until it will be turned over to the barangay’s local government unit after 6 months.
