Barangay Mintal is the pioneering site in Davao City for the international Phinla program on solid waste management.
The Phinla project, which exists in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (Phinla) seeks to assist local government units (LGU) to improving their waste management systems, provide livelihood opportunities, and raise awareness of the waste crisis in the country.
Evangeline Notarte, Phinla project coordinator, said on July 18 that the Barangay Mintal unit was willing and enthusiastic to take on the project.
“Sa proposal before, naa siya’y another site but naka-encounter mi og problema (The previous proposal chose another site but we encountered problems). Here comes Barangay Mintal na willing sa solid waste management improvement para sa ilang barangay (that is willing to improve the solid waste management in their barangay),” Notarte said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw forum.
Barangay Mintal captain Rey Amadaor Bargamento said they attempted to implement a proper waste management system before but it was not sustained due to lack in logistics, personnel, and knowledge.
“Nag campaign mi. Gipadagan namo ang segregation pero pag anha sa dump truck, isa ra labayan tanan so mag ipon gihapon unya i-adto sa landfill. Mabaw pa ang segregation understanding nato (We have a campaign. We launched the segregation system but everything was still dumped together in the dump trucks and to the landfill),” Bargamento said.
Through Phinla, the barangay captain said they were given 25 pedicabs and seven tricycle units used in the daily collection of all recyclable materials in the barangay.
At the same time, 30 Mintal residents, mostly from indigent communities and collectively known as the Mintal Resource Collectors Association (Mirca), were able to make a living through Phinla by working as resource collectors.
Randy Ilog, Mirca president, said they earned a living from the recyclables they have collected such as paper, glass and plastic bottles, cardboard, etc. by directing it to junk shops, recycling facilities, or huge corporations.
“Dako ang tabang sa kaugalingon sa among pamilya kay maka-income man mi (It really helped us and our families because we are able to make an income),” Ilog said.
Bargamento added they are planning to further the segregation system in the barangay by having separate collecting systems for recyclable wastes, residual wastes, vegetable wastes, and food wastes in the near future.
The Phinla project is spearheaded by organizations World Vision Development Foundation, EcoWaste Coalition, Kinaiyahan Foundation, and the Sustainable Davao Movement.
It is also funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Global Development. ICM