Located at the heart of the vast Philippine archipelago, Iloilo City holds a significant prominence over the course of history, once earning the title of the Queen City of the South and more recently receiving the prestigious ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Clean Tourist City award in 2020. Despite its accolades, the city grapples with the challenges that come with its rapid growth, contending with issues like plastic pollution that jeopardizes its mangrove ecosystem and bustling fishing port activities.
As part of the 3rd Regional Workshop of the GIZ 3RproMar project, Iloilo City welcomed participants from across the region to exchange knowledge and practices aligned with the objectives of the Global Plastics Treaty. On March 21st, workshop attendees embarked on field visits around the city to witness firsthand its efforts in combatting plastic pollution.
Also read: [article on 3rd Regional Workshop overview]
The fight for sustainable waste management started at the point where waste was generated: households.
As participants arrived at their first destination in Barangay San Rafael of Mandurriao District, they were greeted by Ms Asubon Tabuyoc, a former captain of the barangay, who now managed the material recovery facility (MRF). The MRF featured a unique component – a small convenience store,
locally known as a sari-sari store, which operated on a system of recyclable waste as exchange currency.
Displayed within the store was a price table, denoting the values assigned to various recyclables such as paper cartons, glass bottles, aluminum cans, PET bottles, and soft plastics. For instance, surrounding households could exchange two kilograms of PET bottles for a bag of salt or other necessities. Ms. Tabuyoc emphasized the impact of these economic incentives, stating, ‘With the system offered by our sari-sari store, communities are not only encouraged to start waste segregation but also to perceive waste as valuable resources.’
With the system offered by our sari-sari store, communities are not only encouraged to start waste segregation but also perceive waste as valuable resources
Upon collection, the gathered waste found its place in the MRF’s warehouse, awaiting either processing or sale to recyclers. Ms Tabuyoc, alongside her team of women, transformed PET bottles into decorative flowers and shredded soft plastics into pillow fillings. These handcrafted items were then sold as souvenirs, with prices starting from 50 Filipino pesos (0.9 USD) each.
In addition to managing inorganic waste, the MRF also accepted organic waste for composting purposes. The finished compost was both sold and utilized in the community garden of vegetables within the MRF. Occasionally, the garden’s produce was harvested and used to prepare meals for students at a nearby school.
Beyond its environmental contributions, the MRF provided local communities with an extra income source as well as additional revenue streams for the barangay administration, supporting waste diversion efforts while fostering sustainability.
A portion of the collected waste underwent further processing at the central MRF in the city, where it was shredded into smaller materials. Bags containing 70 kilograms of these fine low density plastic residuals were seen lined up on a truck as participants entered Cemex Inc’s warehouse in Iloilo Port. Priced at 1 Filipino peso per kilogram, the plastic residuals were destined for Cebu Island, where it would be utilized in co-processing for cement manufacturing.
Similar to practices observed in other parts of the world, the Philippines is diverting some of its plastic waste by incorporating it into cement kilns. Here, plastic waste serves as a substitute for natural resources during the heating stage of cement manufacturing. The high temperatures within the cement kilns effectively consume plastic waste, reducing its potential leakage into the environment.
However, in cases where plastic waste had already found its way into water systems, Iloilo City had taken proactive measures by setting up Modular Sewage Treatment Plants (MSTPs) along the banks of the Iloilo River. These MSTPs act as a last line of defense, preventing plastic waste from leaking into the ocean. During the field visit, participants had the opportunity to look closely at an MSTP in Barangay Callubian and engage in discussions with local stakeholders.
Designed to treat wastewater from adjacent community areas, the plants accommodated around 30 to 50 households that were interconnected across barangays. With a daily treatment capacity ranging from 25 to 35 cubic meters of water, the plants enhanced effluent quality and trapped solid waste before discharge into local rivers. Among the materials filtered through, plastics emerged as the most abundant, underscoring the MSTPs’ efficacy in supporting Iloilo City’s fight against plastic pollution.
Communication Team
Located at the heart of the vast Philippine archipelago, Iloilo City holds a significant prominence over the course of history, once earning the title of the Queen City of the South and more recently receiving the prestigious ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Clean Tourist City award in 2020. Despite its accolades, the city grapples with the challenges that come with its rapid growth, contending with issues like plastic pollution that jeopardizes its mangrove ecosystem and bustling fishing port activities.
As part of the 3rd Regional Workshop of the GIZ 3RproMar project, Iloilo City welcomed participants from across the region to exchange knowledge and practices aligned with the objectives of the Global Plastics Treaty. On March 21st, workshop attendees embarked on field visits around the city to witness firsthand its efforts in combatting plastic pollution.
Also read: [article on 3rd Regional Workshop overview]
The fight for sustainable waste management started at the point where waste was generated: households.
As participants arrived at their first destination in Barangay San Rafael of Mandurriao District, they were greeted by Ms Asubon Tabuyoc, a former captain of the barangay, who now managed the material recovery facility (MRF). The MRF featured a unique component – a small convenience store,
locally known as a sari-sari store, which operated on a system of recyclable waste as exchange currency.
Displayed within the store was a price table, denoting the values assigned to various recyclables such as paper cartons, glass bottles, aluminum cans, PET bottles, and soft plastics. For instance, surrounding households could exchange two kilograms of PET bottles for a bag of salt or other necessities. Ms. Tabuyoc emphasized the impact of these economic incentives, stating, ‘With the system offered by our sari-sari store, communities are not only encouraged to start waste segregation but also to perceive waste as valuable resources.’
With the system offered by our sari-sari store, communities are not only encouraged to start waste segregation but also perceive waste as valuable resources
Upon collection, the gathered waste found its place in the MRF’s warehouse, awaiting either processing or sale to recyclers. Ms Tabuyoc, alongside her team of women, transformed PET bottles into decorative flowers and shredded soft plastics into pillow fillings. These handcrafted items were then sold as souvenirs, with prices starting from 50 Filipino pesos (0.9 USD) each.
In addition to managing inorganic waste, the MRF also accepted organic waste for composting purposes. The finished compost was both sold and utilized in the community garden of vegetables within the MRF. Occasionally, the garden’s produce was harvested and used to prepare meals for students at a nearby school.
Beyond its environmental contributions, the MRF provided local communities with an extra income source as well as additional revenue streams for the barangay administration, supporting waste diversion efforts while fostering sustainability.
A portion of the collected waste underwent further processing at the central MRF in the city, where it was shredded into smaller materials. Bags containing 70 kilograms of these fine low density plastic residuals were seen lined up on a truck as participants entered Cemex Inc’s warehouse in Iloilo Port. Priced at 1 Filipino peso per kilogram, the plastic residuals were destined for Cebu Island, where it would be utilized in co-processing for cement manufacturing.
Similar to practices observed in other parts of the world, the Philippines is diverting some of its plastic waste by incorporating it into cement kilns. Here, plastic waste serves as a substitute for natural resources during the heating stage of cement manufacturing. The high temperatures within the cement kilns effectively consume plastic waste, reducing its potential leakage into the environment.
However, in cases where plastic waste had already found its way into water systems, Iloilo City had taken proactive measures by setting up Modular Sewage Treatment Plants (MSTPs) along the banks of the Iloilo River. These MSTPs act as a last line of defense, preventing plastic waste from leaking into the ocean. During the field visit, participants had the opportunity to look closely at an MSTP in Barangay Callubian and engage in discussions with local stakeholders.
Designed to treat wastewater from adjacent community areas, the plants accommodated around 30 to 50 households that were interconnected across barangays. With a daily treatment capacity ranging from 25 to 35 cubic meters of water, the plants enhanced effluent quality and trapped solid waste before discharge into local rivers. Among the materials filtered through, plastics emerged as the most abundant, underscoring the MSTPs’ efficacy in supporting Iloilo City’s fight against plastic pollution.
Communication Team
