The Ilocos Times

WASTE MANAGEMENT. Residents of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte trade in their wastes for household and school essentials in this undated photo. The waste diversion project has reduced the volume of discarded materials in sanitary landfills. (Photo courtesy of PBMES) By Leilanie Adriano San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte—Residents of this town have shown overwhelming support for the local government's waste management efforts by participating in the “Palit-Basura” program that allows them to swap discarded materials for school and household essentials. Orlando Pascua, principal of the Pasion-Barangay Memorial Elementary School, said that the program encourages responsible waste management. Teachers, students and parents gather discarded materials such as plastic wrappers, shampoo sachets and other packaging materials and traded them at the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) for corresponding points every Tuesday and Thursday. Through the program, Pascua said educat...

The waste issue is a global problem as shown here in a photo of a dump site that can be found everywhere in the world. (File photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —In a concerted effort and continuing action of a global scale to address the negative impact of the excessive use and disposal of hazardous wastes, the city government here has reiterated the ban on the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam packaging. City environment and natural resources officer (CENRO) Mylene Isabel Pascual said the use of said packaging has resulted in environmental degradation, flooding, problems on sanitation and worst of all, climate change. The local government units (LGUs) “has a sublime responsibility must have to protect the constituency from the harmful or even fatal effects as ill results of disregarding the environment and therefore must support this move to save Mother Earth from total degradation”. Citing Article II Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution, it provid...

ECO-FRIENDLY. On Oct. 20, 2021, a worker at the newly-inaugurated Ilocos Norte Eco Hub demonstrates to local officials of the province led by Vice Governor Cecilia Araneta Marcos how the stripped plastic sachets are mix with cement to produce eco-bricks. Also shown in the background photo are eco-bricks used in the construction of the first eco hub in the province which is envisioned to be replicated in various parts of the province to help beat plastic pollution. ( Lei G. Adriano) Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The province of Ilocos Norte is heading towards beating plastic pollution with the manufacturing of eco-bricks using recycled plastic wastes for construction purposes. Located along the national highway at Sitio Bato, Brgy. Tonoton in Piddig, Ilocos Norte the project is a model eco hub recycling facility, the first of its kind in Ilocos region. Through a public and private partnership agreement between the Ayala-led renewable energy corporation-North Luzon...

Laoag City recently won as the cleanest and greenest city in the province. (File photo) By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) commended Laoag City’s 10-year solid waste management (SWM) plan. Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon presented the plan to the 14-members NSWMC group who came from the different government sectors and non-government organizations, particularly in the recycling and plastic industry. The mayor said the 10-year plan is all about the future strategy and course of action of the city regarding the proper management of wastes. The presentation included the city’s projection on the collection, storage, transfer and disposal of wastes collected from the different households and establishments including diversion of wastes for the next 10 years.   According to the mayor, the city’s SWM plan garnered favorable response from the NSWMC compared in the past 20 years when city failed to present ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The city government here is eyeing the establishment of an organic composting facility in a three-hectare idle lot located at Brgy. Camangaan, this city. The organic composting facility aims to reduce the volume of wastes being generated in the city as the collected biodegradable wastes will be converted as organic fertilizer for farmers. Laoag mayor Michael M. Keon said this is a welcome development for all Laoag residents as the project is expected to create more jobs and to prolong the lifespan of the city landfill. "The proposed site will be put up on a 3-hectare lot offered by the family of Virgil Corpuz, uncle of our OIC provincial environment and natural resources officer, Estrella “Baby” Sacro, subject to a usufruct agreement, which will be effective for a period of 25 years and may be renewed thereafter,” said Mr. Keon. In addition to the organic composting facility, the city will also host a plastic recycling...

  Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon meets with Barangay 7 chairperson Henry Yumul regarding the barangay’s implementation of waste segregation. Mr. Yumul presented the plans and programs of their barangay regarding the said program. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —"Everybody should understand that Laoag City is among the few cities in the Region left without a comprehensive waste segregation program. This is the reason why we are also left with no choice but to act fast and immediately fast track the implementation of the program, and subsequently open the sanitary landfill in Barangay Balatong”. Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon made this announcement after the city government received a “Notice of Violation” from the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) for the closure of the existing open dumpsite at Brgy. Lagui Sail, this city. In relation to this, Keon thanked Brgy. 7 Nra. Sra. De Natividad led ...

  Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon meets all the city’s barangay chairpersons in two batches as he wants to strictly implement the city’s solid waste management program with the new sanitary landfill’s opening. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —The city government here again reiterated its desire to fully and strictly implement its solid waste management program, with a focus in waste segregation. In a bid to achieve this, Laoag Mayor Michael M. Keon met with all of the city’s barangay chairpersons to tell them to prepare for the closure of the controlled dumpsite at Brgy. Lagui-Sail and the subsequent opening and operation of the new sanitary landfill at Brgy. Balatong. During the said meetings, which occurred in two batches, Keon said that since the city’s rural barangays have plenty of vacant lots, the barangay chiefs there could create communal compost pits. He also learned from the barangay heads that waste segregation at the source is...

Laoag City —The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau Region I (DENR-EMB RI) granted PHP25.5 million to the Ilocos Norte provincial government to fund the construction of a plastic recycling and resource recovery facility (PRRF) at Brgy. Imelda in Marcos town, Ilocos Norte. On January 22, 2020, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc signed a memorandum of agreement with EMB Regional Director Engr. Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe to officially turn over the fund. Engr. Naz-Hipe applauded the initiative of the province, saying: “ Sa buong Pilipinas , Ilocos Norte is one of the very few provinces na nakakuha ng ganitong kalaking halaga under the administration of President [Rodrigo] Duterte. We congratulate you for having availed this assistance and we do hope that it will be a successful project. Maging model project ito na pwedeng bisitahin din ng ibang local government units para ma -replicate sa ibang rehiyon ,” she added....

Laoag City —Leading the “Narimat nga Aglawlaw” launch on October 3, 2019 at Brgy. Casili, this city, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc urged the whole Ilokano community to start doing their part in taking care of our environment. “Narimat nga Aglawlaw,” a province-wide environmental awareness campaign, is an initiative Mr. Manotoc that reiterates the importance of solid waste management and segregation. In his speech, Mr. Manotoc described the serious problem of non-biodegradable materials on the planet: “The world faces a plastic crisis now. These plastics are not only damaging our environment but also damaging us, humans. Hindi sapat ang mga band-aid solutions sa pangangalaga sa ating kalikasan; kailangan natin ay long-term solutions.” In addition, he emphasized the immediate action needed in order to protect it: “In the province, all barangays have started complying to the call so I am hoping that this will be the start of the effort. Panahon na p...

  Laoag City —Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu sees the potential of Ilocos Norte as the first province to establish sanitary landfills in each municipality. “I am looking forward to that day na lahat-lahat ng mga municipalities sa Ilocos Norte ay may sanitary landfills,” he said in a meeting organized by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) headed by Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall on August 8, 2019. Attendees include local government executives, city and municipal environment officers, and different environmental stakeholders. According to Mr. Cimatu, Ilocos Norte would encourage other provinces to establish their own disposal areas if it would set an exemplary action in addressing improper waste management. Out of 21 municipalities, he lauded the officials of Bacarra, Banna, Nueva Era, Paoay, Piddig, San Nicolas, and Vintar for having operational s...