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23 CARMONA, CAVITE
For Pride and Profit
Balik Inang Kalikasan, Balik Amang Pabrika (BIKBAP)
Program on Waste Recycling
UP until 1998, Carmona in Cavite played host to Metro Manila garbage.
Every week an average of 80 to 100 truckloads of garbage was dumped
into a 63-hectare land fill. Its residents suffered not only from the diseases
and health hazards that came from the landfill but also from the ill repute
of being the dumping ground of other people’s waste.
Metro Manila’s Garbage Problem
A move to close down the landfill in 1998 brought comfort to residents.
But this was short-lived. Former President Joseph Estrada promptly
ordered its reopening to give way to public clamor to solve Metro Manila’s
garbage problem which had gotten to crisis proportions. The municipality
of Carmona invested in costly but ineffective ways of managing solid
waste. Indiscriminate dumping continued. There was lack of direction.
Over time, Carmona residents had grown indifferent to the sight of
80 to 100 truckloads of garbage being dumped on their community every
week.
To raise people’s awareness and encourage their involvement both
in the planning and implementation stages of the program, a massive
information campaign on garbage disposal was rolled out. The campaign
focused on waste segregation from source to lessen cost. It also rallied
people to support regular collection of garbage, composting of
biodegradable waste, recovery and selling of recyclable material, and
even to explore livelihood opportunities from waste recycling.
The local government made it a policy not to force people to comply,
and instead knocked on every door. Their appeal was simple: “Let’s not
make Carmona Metro Manila’s dumpsite.” They were counting on
people’s pride to get them to repudiate the affront.
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