Barugo Success Story, the Central Material Recovery Facility or the Barugo Municipal Ecopark

Managing effectively and efficiently solid wastes sans permanent access to sanitary landfill requires
consistency, people’s participation and sustainability. While our permanent sanitary landfill is yet to
be established, the Local Government Unit of Barugo embarked on a people centered, consistent
and sustained operation of its Municipal Ecopark or its central Material Recovery Facility.

How it started

The Environmental Management Bureau Regional Office 8 reminded LGUs that Republic Act 9003
otherwise known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 is mandating LGUs to close
permanently any open and or controlled dumpsite facility lest face sanctions for violation thereto.
Thus, in year 2015, LGU Barugo has complied fully to this directive with the permanent closure of its
controlled dumpsite facility and having it converted to a central Material Recovery Facility (MRF) or
simply called the Barugo Municipal Ecopark.

Before its permanent closure, solid wastes dump at the controlled dumpsite facility were mixed solid
wastes such that it contributes to greenhouse gas emission but things change when it was closed
permanently, rehabilitated and converted to what is now the central Material Recovery Facility or
the Municipal Ecopark.

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 A picture of the controlled dumpsite before its permanent closure in 2015

Picture of Controlled Dumpsite Closed as per approved Closure and Rehabilitation Plan

Since 2015, right from the closure of our controlled dumpsite facility and the ensuing year 2016
under the new leadership of Mayor Ma. Rosario “Macel” Cumpio- Avestruz, has established its
central Material Recovery Facility or simply called the Barugo Municipal Ecopark.

Albeit, Mayor Macel Avestruz was just entering as a newly elected official and at the same time
shifting from a different work environment coming from a private sector in her previous career, this
did not deter her from doing what should be done. She humbly explored how to learn to manage
solid wastes together with the Solid Waste Management Board and technical personnel of LGU
Barugo by going to series of Lakbay Aral in Cebu, LGU Tabontabon, Leyte and LGU Palompon, Leyte.
The learning got from Lakbay Aral was applied in the locality thus gradually improving solid wastes
management in the locality.

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Indeed, Barugo has jumpstarted and sustained solid wastes management operations and this has
reaped consistent award in Environmental Management as an essential component of the
prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for five consecutive years already since 2015.

How Solid Waste Management is being managed through the Municipal Ecopark operations

1. Segregated Waste Collection

LGU Barugo is implementing a No Collection No Segregation Policy. At the start, people were
resisting change. They were scolding garbage collection personnel if their sacks of wastes are
left uncollected since it was not properly segregated. Sometimes, solid wastes that are not
properly segregated are put and mixed at the bottom while at the uppermost the intended
kind of solid wastes was shown to evade scrutiny of garbage collectors. Gradually, with
constant reprimands, with the regular Information and Education Campaign (IEC) and social
media posts people begun to cooperate as they started to comprehend why solid wastes are
being segregated in the first place. Biodegradable wastes are collected every Monday and
Friday while Non Biodegradabe Wastes are collected every Wednesday.

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2. Biodegradable Wastes processed into Soil Conditioner or Soil Enhancer

There are existing 2 units shredders that is being used in the Vermicomposting Facility of the
LGU. This type of wastes are collected in a separate day (Monday and Friday) and brought to
the Municipal Ecopark. There are personnel doing the final sorting at the central MRF.
Sorted biodegradable wastes are shredded into fine materials and are placed at the Vermi
Beds for decomposition. After several days decomposed wastes are now placed in another
Vermibed with African Crawler Worms for it to become purely decomposed soil that can be
used as soil conditioner or enhancer. The natural soil will now be sieved so as to separate
the worms from the finished product. The worms are placed back to the vermibeds with
finely shredded materials.

3. Non-Biodegradable Wastes/Special Wastes processed into Recyclables/Reusable Products

and Stored at Residual Containment Area (RCA)

Non-Biodegradable wastes are collected every Wednesday and are brought to the Municipal
Ecopark. Staff at the Ecopark sort the wastes into recyclables; wastes that can be shredded;
and wastes that are to be stored at the Residual Containment Area (RCA) such as special
wastes and wastes that cannot be diverted anymore. The municipality has expanded already
the Residual Containment Area (RCA) to accommodate the increasing bulk of plastic wastes
that are stored temporarily while awaiting for the availability of the Sanitary Landfill Facility
(SLF).

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Shredded plastics are given to the Barugo Sewers Association (BSA) and this women’s group
are making them as pillows for sale.

All in all, the recorded sale of recyclables reaches an amount of Php 36,401.00 for year 2020
and 2021 alone.

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How we have accomplished and sustained solid waste management operations

Although we don’t have a permanent Sanitary Landfill Facility yet, the operations of the Barugo
Municipal Ecopark has enabled the local government with the best practices in managing solid
wastes despite being a 4th class municipality with meager resources.

Mayor Macel Avestruz has been consistent with the environmental management aspects in local
governance especially solid wastes management. She had always ensured that issues and concerns
are addressed and to have the 10-year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan formulated and
approved so as to comprehensively and decisively addressed pressing problems confronting solid
waste management at the locality. Rightfully so, the 10 year SWM Plan was finally approved last
December 2018.

Just like any other local government units especially 4 th to 5th class LGUs, financial constraints and
competing use of available resources can deplete any implementation and enforcement of plans so
much so that Infrastructure Development, Social Welfare Development and Health and Nutrition
Services can eat up a big chunk of budgetary allocations thus environmental management can be set
aside or be less prioritized but for Mayor Macel, environmental management has to go hand in hand
with economic and social development so as to put forward a sustainable development of the
municipality that can have a trickledown effect down to the community and without compromising
needs of future generations. She sees to it that funds for environmental management can have an
equitable share in the development fund either sourced locally or from external sources by tapping
funding networks and linkages from national, international and non-government agencies.

LGU Barugo acquired a brand new garbage collection vehicle fully equipped with a public address
system and infographics to let waste generators served by segregated wastes collection system
imbibed a culture of discipline and to be active participants in waste reduction and segregation of
solid wastes. At the onset, people would react to change but years passed segregated collection
system was a hard fought battle won by LGU Barugo since then.

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Attesting further to this fact, in year 2017 the Department of Social Welfare and Development
(DSWD) has opened up a thematic development funding opportunity thru one of its banner program
the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services
(KALAHI-CIDSS). Mayor Macel Avestruz didn’t think twice to choose Environmental Management as
the thematic concern to be prioritized as other Infrastructure Development concerns can anyhow be
sourced from other funding agencies since there are several opportunities for them while for
environmental management concerns proves to be difficult to be sourced financially. This has paved
the way for the 17 Million grant from World Bank thru DSWD mainly for LGU Barugo’s project in
solid waste management known as People’s Reform Initiative in Zero-Waste Environment – Triangle
of Accountability Governance or PRIZE TAG. This project enabled the following project outputs;

1. Enacted the Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance for all 37 barangays.
2. Reorganized and strengthened 37 Barangays Ecological Solid Waste Management
Ordinance.
3. Waste Characterization Study (WACS) for the 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan
Formulation
4. Fully oriented communities on Solid Waste Management Programs and Laws
5. 8 Barangays with a complete standard Material Recovery Facility with equipment and
Collection Vehicle.
6. 7 Barangays with a Support Facility (Segregated Waste Collection Vehicle)
7. Partnered with Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) for a computer based monitoring
application for solid waste management compliance in the community.

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The 15 barangays have been provided with the necessary facility, equipment and capacity
development to fully enforced ordinance and laws in solid waste management as mandated for
them while the remaining 22 barangays have been capacitated with trainings and ordinance
enactment related to solid waste management.

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LGU Barugo has also completed recently the very innovative Municipal Ecology Center cum Buy Back
Center. This facility is a local version of a National Ecology Center or the Regional Ecology Center.
This will be the learning center for all environmental management concerns where constituents and
partners can visit to for actively participating in LGU Barugo’s environmental management
development concerns. Also, this serve also as the central venue for the Buy Back Program of the
municipality. Since the late part of 2018, LGU Barugo has recovered plastic or non-biodegradable
wastes of about 2 tons already which was redeemed from households in exchange for 2 kilos of rice
and 2 pcs canned goods. Families are helping conserve and protect the environment while doing so,
benefit from it by receiving basic goods from the municipality in exchange of the plastics or non-
biodegradable made into ecobricks and or shredded as a raw material for another by product.
Ecobricks on the other hand is used as planting guides and decorative fence at the Ecopark and the
Vegetable Garden within the Muncipal Compound.

The Barugo Municipal Ecology Center cum Buy Back Center

Partnership with other agencies such as the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Regional
Office 8 has fruitful rewards. They have been providing LGU Barugo with technical assistance and
several project development grants that have been highly beneficial to achieve development goals in

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Environmental Management of the locality. The EMB-R8 continually provided LGU Barugo with
technical assistance in crafting and approval of its 10-year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan.
They also provided project grants to construct the Material Recovery Facility Building and a 1 unit
Biodegradable Shredder.

Another strong partnership forged by LGU Barugo is that of the academe sector. The Barugo
National High School (BNHS) is also sustaining its program as one of the awardee reaching Division
Level as Eco-Friendly School and was also a contender to the Regional Level. BNHS has solid waste
management programs participated by the school in terms of reducing plastic wastes of the
municipality by promoting and engaging in recycling, re-use and source reduction activities at school.
As such they were given a project by the Environmental Management Bureau Regional Office 8
dubbed as National Ecosavers Program (NEP). Students can make by products made of recyclable

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materials and in exchange receive school supplies through the National Ecosavers Program. This
program is partnered with LGU Barugo and Barugo National High School (BNHS) and funded by EMB
Region 8.

LGU Barugo on its quest to continuously improve environmental management and services has
ensured that funds for its programs and projects are timely and adequately funded. The municipality
acquired equipment for non-biodegradable plastic waste. At the moment plastic wastes are
shredded into fine materials and are given to Barugo Sewers Association (BSA) for raw materials of
their pillow products. Expansion of the Material Recovery Facility Building has been funded also by
the LGU’s own development fund and also from the Performance Challenge Fund incentive when it
won again from the annual SGLG award in year 2019. This clearly shows the LGU’s steadfast resolve
to always upgrade its environmental management program and services. The expanded MRF
Building can now accommodate additional equipment that will be acquired by the local government.
Given the increasing wastes that are brought to the Residual Containment Area (RCA), the
municipality decided to construct additional building for the purpose. The waste that can still be
processed or shredded area sorted out by sorters at the Municipal Ecopark while those that are to
be discarded are temporarily stored until a permanent Sanitary Landfill Facility is already available.

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LGU Barugo is also regularly observing clean up activities and special events such as Earth Day and
National Clean up Month and International Coastal Cleanup Day to name of few. This is to foster
cleanliness and litter free environment and to instill discipline to manage solid wastes right at the
very source so as not to contribute to the generation and improper disposal of solid wastes.

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The sustained development outcomes in environmental management and services accomplished by
LGU Barugo has gradually becoming known in the region already. LGU Barugo through Mayor Macel
Avestruz consistent and sustained leadership has evolved from being a learner who visited other
performing LGUS during her first term and slowly being transformed to a performing LGU advocating
and implementing admirable programs and projects in Solid Waste Management one of which is the
transformation of our central Material Recovery Facility or the Municipal Ecopark to what it is now
at its present development state. Many LGUs within Region 8 have already visited the Municipal
Ecopark to include the Province of Biliran; LGU Culaba, Biliran; Arteche Samar, Capoocan, Leyte to
name a few.

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The strategic direction of LGU Barugo in Solid Waste Management

Despite the Covid-19 Pandemic, LGU Barugo did not rest on its laurels. To better manage non-
biodegradable wastes, an ordinance to regulate use of single use plastic was enacted last December
2020 at the height of restrictions while the world is still in the state of Covid-19 Pandemic. This
ordinance is known as the “Barugo, Leyte Plastic and Polysterene and Similar Materials Regulation
Ordinance of 2020. Currently, the Sangguniang Bayan is also enacting a Proposed Ordinance
Prohibiting the Indiscriminate and Improper Disposal of Face Masks and Other Covid-19 Protective
Gears and Products in All Places within the Territorial Jurisdiction of Barugo, Leyte. It is now
currently being deliberated by the Sangguniang Bayan and is now on its first reading.

To also address adverse socioeconomic impact of Covid-19, the “Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating
Displaced Disadvantaged Workers” (TUPAD) Program of DOLE in partnership with LGU Barugo have
conducted massive cleanup and beautification projects for three batches already to provide means
of income to heavily affected communities while instilling cleanliness and litter free environment at
the municipality.

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The main and biggest project of LGU Barugo now is the establishment of its permanent Sanitary
Landfill Facility (SLF). This project once completed will complement the Municipal Ecopark to
completely address the proper disposal of all kinds of solid wastes. Currently, it is already acquiring a
lot adjacent to the Municipal Ecopark and has passed the selection criteria of the Mines and
Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

Message of the Municipal Mayor

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