The Holcim factor in waste management

Nora Soriño .

ILIGAN City — There’s a curious thing that is happening to the garbage at Barangay Poblacion, this city.

Holcim Philippines Inc. through its waste management unit, Geocycle, has entered into an agreement with said barangay to manage its wastes “in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner by using qualified materials to produce  low-carbon fuels to be used in cement manufacturing.”

With that, we commend Holcim in helping a barangay in this city in waste management.

Before proceeding, we revisit some back stories about the city’s waste management itself. This city’s waste management, OK, problem with garbage  is a serious one. Consider this. There was a time when the dump truck, I mean trucks, got outbalanced resulting in accidents. Not once or twice or thrice, but four times — four times! — on its way to the dump site that is Bonbonon. The barangay site, to note, consists of rough roads even as it is also on an upward route toward the dump site. Hence, the four accidents. There were  two fatalities then with scores injured on the part of the garbage men. That was last year.

Even then, the city was in denial. That the problem therefore was just downplayed is an understatement.. Compounding the problem are that the “juices” coming from the garbage there fall into the Dodiongan Falls below and unto the rivers. Thus, some residents there complain of skin diseases after they bathe in said river. It’s as if this city has its own cesspool.

Time was when this wasn’t an open dump site. There were equipment that would churn out those waste materials. The equipment just “drowned” in due time in the onslaught of the city’s tons and tons of garbage. What with its 44 barangays… and the city’s officials seemingly helpless.

Back to Holcim and Poblacion. The cement maker that is Holcim  and its waste management unit Geocycle will help Poblacion manage its wastes, like we said, in the manner described in the outset.

Under that partnership, Poblacion sends to Holcim’s plant in Lugait, Misamis Oriental plant for pre- and co-processing non-hazardous and low moisture residual wastes such as plastics, laminates, textiles and rubber. Geocycle then will also extend technical assistance and training on proper waste segregation and packaging to employees of Barangay Poblacion’s materials recovery facilities.

With this, the barangay becomes the second community after the municipality of Lugait that is provided waste management assistance by Holcim Philippine in Northern Mindanao.

“We believe that co-processing is an effective and sustainable tool in addressing the waste management challenges of the country. Holcim Philippines is committed to further developing partnerships with local governments and raising awareness about the advantages of co-processeing to further raise our contribution to lessening wastes that go to landfills,” said Holcim Philippines vice president for geocycle Frederic Vallat.

Sept. 18 was the signing of the agreement between Poblacion led by barangay chair Anthony Pacaña and Holcim Philippines led by Vallat.  Reporters were around to witness it. So were some personalities from Lugait, Misamis Oriental like Emmanuel Pagalan, municipal administrator; Rosabella Ugmad, municipal agricultural officer; Cara Ramirez, vice president for communications; Don Gil Carreon, communications manager; Alvin Marayan, media relations director; and Bobby Garza, vice president for operations, Lugait plant.

Now, there were questions why the city officials were not around. Why?

Well, the answers can be gleaned from that back story we stated.