Iloilo trains waste workers to keep recyclables out of dumps

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — More than 60 barangay waste workers and newly appointed Eko-Aides from Passi City and Dumangas underwent training on Sept. 24 to strengthen their role in Iloilo’s shift toward a circular economy.

The workers completed back-to-back sessions on occupational safety and health (OSH) and waste classification. The sessions covered safer waste handling and how to identify materials that can be recovered instead of discarded.

The activities were conducted under the PH Plastics Circularity Project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines, with support from the Coca-Cola Foundation, in partnership with the local governments of Passi City and Dumangas.

From segregation to recycling

The participants also visited Justine’s Recycling facility in Iloilo, where they observed how properly segregated materials move through the recycling process and gain value as recoverable resources.

The learning tour gave the workers a practical look at what happens after waste is separated at the community level.

The training highlighted the role of barangay waste workers in determining whether recyclable materials remain in circulation or end up as waste for disposal.

Proper classification and segregation can allow plastics and other recyclables to enter recovery and recycling streams.

Under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, barangays are responsible for the segregation and collection of biodegradable, compostable, and reusable waste.

The OSH component addressed the risks of handling waste, particularly when hazardous materials are mixed with ordinary refuse.

Part of WOW Limpyo Iloilo

The activities are part of a program being piloted in 20 barangays in Passi City and Dumangas.

The initiative is integrated into the Iloilo Provincial Government’s Weave Out Waste (WOW) Limpyo Iloilo framework, which promotes stronger and more sustainable solid waste management systems.

The provincial government, through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), launched WOW Limpyo Iloilo with UNDP on Sept. 9, 2025, at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.

The program builds on the Limpyo Eleksyon 2025 campaign, under which the province collected more than 49,000 kilograms of post-election waste in May 2025.

Plastics made up more than half of that waste, with tarpaulins accounting for 34 percent and flexible plastics for 16 percent.

The program seeks to strengthen local waste management by combining worker safety, proper segregation, material recovery, and recycling.

The effort also underscores a broader shift in waste management — from simply collecting and disposing of garbage toward recovering materials and keeping them in productive use.