REDUCING waste and earning while doing it, this is what the city government's newest program in Cogon Market is all about , a city official said.
Dubbed as "Wealth on Waste" (WOW), Jessica Rabia, sanitation head of the City Economic Enterprise Department (CEED) said the WOW project was created to help laborers and vendors in the market boost their
incomes.
Rabia said through the program launched Thursday, October 26, organized groups of laborers and vendors were able to make a full sala set, which included a sofa made of tires, plastic pillows, pillows made from styrofoam, and tables from discarded tires.
City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya, chairman of the committee on enterprise, said the program can help reduce the garbage produced in the market.
"May pera sa basura, so diri sa merkado nato, klaro man nga daghan gyud ug basura nga makita, ug mao na nga while ga-aim ta for waste reduction, this project has also a livelihood component in it to help the workers here in our market," he said.
"Instead na ilabay tanan ang basura sa sanitary landfill, pugngan dinhi ang magamit pa, para ma-recycle ug mabaligya," he added.
Nacaya said they have started looking for possible stores where these products will be displayed.
"We will make a store para asa i-display kining ilang mga products, ga-identify na ta ug spaces asa ang tindahan, for now, social media atong gigamit para mabaligya ning mga products na recyclable materials," he said.
Mayor Oscar Moreno for his part lauded the CEED for the initiative, saying the project is good for the transition of the Cogon Market, from a neglected trade center into one of the best markets in Northern Mindanao.
Moreno also bared his plan to repair existing markets, and build more around the city, to decongest particularly both Carmen and Cogon markets.
Nacaya, who heads the planning team, said he is eyeing to build another public market in Cala-cala in Barangay Macasandig.
"Cogon is so congested. We have to spread new growth areas so we can provide more opportunities for the people," he added.