Project IWASTO Holds Second Webinar on Community-Level Waste Management

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – A Department of Science and Technology-funded research project successfully held the second session of its webinar series titled “IWASTO Natin Webinar Series on Sustainable Solid Waste Management Amidst COVID-19” last 23 July via Zoom and Facebook live.

Participated by around three hundred (300) people hailing from various sectors and groups throughout the Philippines, Project Integrated Waste Analysis, Survey, and Technological Options (Project IWASTO) organized the webinar series which will have a total three sessions on topics involving solid waste management.

Engr. Angela Aquino, Senior Science Research Specialist of Project IWASTO, presented a brief overview of the program as part of the opening remarks. For this session, speakers Mr. Emmanuel Alivio, Mr. Bramwell Gonzales, and Engr. Reido Panaligan discussed the endeavors of their respective organizations. 

Event poster for the webinar
(Source: Project IWASTO Facebook page)

“Kami sa GreenAntz ang ginagawa namin ay circular economy. [Ang mga plastic nanggagaling] from producers to consumers, then ‘away’[.] Kami yung kumukuha ng ‘away’. In our case[,] yung mga waste nagiging resource siya.” (“Here are GreenAntz we do circular economy. [The plastics flow] from the producers, [to the] consumers, then ‘away’. We are taking these [plastics thrown away]”. In our case, the wastes become [useful] resources.) Mr. Alivio of GreenAntz emphasized during her talk. He presented the innovative solutions of Green Antz Builders, Inc., a Bulacan-based enterprise that uses its proprietary technology to utilize plastic sachets as eco-bricks for various uses.

For the second talk, Mr. Bram Gonzales of Sari-Cycling discussed the initiatives of their group in promoting segregation at source. Currently, they have forged partnerships with select communities in urban Pasig City. “Let us focus on the present. We have things we can do [at] our homes, things we can do right now” Mr. Gonzales said in his concluding statement.

Engr. Reido Panaligan of the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST) delivered the final talk for the second session. He explained that the CREST Urban Biogas System integrates various sustainable concepts such as renewable energy, waste management, permaculture, and materials recovery.

After the presentations, questions from webinar participants in both Zoom and Facebook were answered by the speakers. Engr. Ces Abad Jr. of Project IWASTO served as the moderator and emcee.

The next webinar session will be held tentatively on [early August]*. While first session held last 8 July focused on the technologies that could help manage biodegradable wastes, the last session will involve local government units’ response to the changing garbage landscape brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Project IWASTO aims to develop integrated solid waste information and technology management system for selected communities that are part of the Manila Bay watershed. It is a two-year project under the IM4ManilaBay Program, a consortium of research projects that aims to clean up and rehabilitate Manila Bay. The program component projects are funded by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD).

*Editor's Note: The original reflected schedule was removed as the webinar session did not push through at that date. New schedule is subject to change depending on the speaker availability.