“KWARTA SA BASURA” Iloilo City General Services Office: Enriching the Lives of the Poorest of the Poor Lolita Espinosa was thrilled when she received her voucher of ten thousand pesos. Surely this is a far cry from the meager income that she earns as a waste picker at the Iloilo City Calajunan Dumpsite. 52 years old and a mother to 7 children, Lolita used to have her own cooking shop but lost everything by going into debt to support her family. At that same time, her husband lost his job as a waiter due to structural changes at a hotel where he was working. Having no other option, she worked as a waste picker at the dumpsite segregating and collecting waste. A recent thesis submitted at the Ateneo de Manila University by Salome P. Villamor, MPM, of the City General Services Office on the income of the recyclers and waste pickers in Iloilo City show that majority of them earn way below the poverty level. Most of them make between 50 to 80 pesos daily selling recovered plastics, metals, paper and other recyclables to junk buyers doing their business inside the dumpsite. The study also stated that they cannot support their daily needs with their income. Lolita used to be one of about 300 waste pickers and recyclers from three barangays surrounding the dumpsite who earn their living by scavenging through the city’s garbage everyday. In 2009, Lolita and 11 other waste pickers volunteered to participate in one of the training programs of the Uswag Calajunan Livelihood Association Inc. (UCLA). Formerly known as the CSNA or Calajunan, So-oc & Nava-is Association after the names of the three barangays that surround the dumpsite, UCLA was organized in 2006 through the support and assistance from the Iloilo City Government, represented by the City General Services Office currently under, City General Services Officer Joren F, Sartorio, with a mission “to develop the capacity of the Calajunan Waste Pickers by providing alternative livelihood options and enhancing their participation in the management of the Iloilo Sanitary Landfill (SLF)”. On May 11, 2009, UCLA, with the support of the Iloilo City Government and technical assistance from the Solid Waste Management for Local Government Units, was formally organized and was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is governed by its Board of Directors, majority of who are former waste pickers, and representatives from the private sector who were invited to provide assistance and advice. The Iloilo City Government brought in Josephine Alcantara, Maribell Pisuena and Salome Villamor under Assistant City General Services Officer Engr. Raul T. Gallo of the City General Services Office’s Social Development Program to assist in the daily operation and implementation of the project. The operation of UCLA is currently financed by the membership fees, the P30.00 monthly contribution of every member, net profits from sale of UCLA products, donations from private supporters and from the Iloilo City Government Social Development Fund. UCLA is developing alternative livelihoods, social services and people empowerment, therefore improving the waste pickers’ role in the overall solid waste management of Iloilo City’s waste disposal. Several activities were also done through UCLA. These include Linis Tenga, Food Assistance Programs, Feeding Programs and medical missions. For the past four years, UCLA was able to implement various alternative livelihood projects that benefit most of its members. Most of these derive their raw materials collected from recyclable or sellable materials. Aside from the usual composting of degradable garbage into commercial fertilizer, they segregated these into residual and recyclable materials to be used in the production of their goods. Using non-biodegradable aluminum cello-foils, the members were trained to process and fabricate varieties of bag designs from wallets, tote bags, handbags, and all types of bags that carry anything from shopping to laptop computers. They practically recycle tons of unwanted containers that normally would go to the landfill. Waste paper is also processed to produce Briquettes or paper charcoal that would surely find its way in the market of environment-friendly consumers. Presently, it is their Paper Beads that’s making a hit in sales. Using recycled paper, they can craft fashion jewelry with the assistance of City General Services Office personnel, Maribell Pisuena with its designs. They also create designer rosary beads for devout environmentalists. These products find their way in their way into the international market with the collaboration of non-government organizations and companies like GIZ, a Germany-based technology company, which initiated trainings on sewing recycled bags, sorting out alternative fuel resources in cooperation with HOLCIM, a cement company which also purchase the segregated residual waste from them, and the Love Our Own Brethren Inc. (LOOB,Inc), a Filipino-Japanese NGO that is also a supporter that conducts livelihood trainings, educational assistance to the children of members, and donates equipment and materials. LOOB is also a regular client for the products that they market in Japan and in a few European countries. This guarantees a constant income for the UCLA with the sale of its products. The commercial products of the UCLA are also presently displayed and sold at the Museo Iloilo. The net income of the sales is divided with each worker’s productivity. A sharing of 50 to 40%, depending on the difficulty of the product’s craftsmanship, will actually go to the member-worker; 30 to 20% will go to the UCLA for its revolving capital and will cover taxes, fees and other expenses while the rest of the profit will cover expenses like lacquer paint, detergent and nylon strings which are necessary in the pre-production of the products. As the news of Lolita and few others that recently received their ten-thousand pesos share from the profits of making paper beads spread throughout the dumpsite, it seems a lot more waste pickers would be very willing to indulge themselves with the project. Presently with 171 active members, the UCLA and the City General Services Office personnel involved are presently planning to apply more aggressive marketing strategies. Consultations from experts on new patterns and designs, mass production of paper beads and jewelry and joining more trade shows and exhibits are on the priority list. UCLA’s website is under construction and is about to be launched in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry. A Product Catalog early this year will be used for consignment arrangement with SM Shoemart. They were able to set-up a recycling shop provided by the Iloilo City Government at the Mandurriao Public Market. Most recent is the UCLA Center established with the LOOB foundation and Pastor Levy Padlan. Located near the dumpsite, it serves as a meeting place, training center for livelihood projects, a demonstration area for gardening and a venue for UCLA activities. It is also planned to be a child-minding place for young children who are normally brought by their parents to the dumpsite while they go about with their waste picking. Late last year, the Iloilo City Government, through the initiative of the General Services Office, received a donation of 2 sewing machines from the LOOB Foundation to be turned over to the UCLA supplementing the 10 sewing machines endowed by the City Government’s Social Development Fund earlier the same year. Luz Obaredes, 44 years old with 5 children is also animated when she received her voucher. She said, “Pila ka adlaw makasarang na ko magpa rebond buhok ko!” (“Someday, I can afford to have my hair a rebond!’) She, also a member of UCLA, sorts alternative fuel resources for sale to HOLCIM and recyclable waste to sell to junkshops. The Calajunan Dumpsite has since been transformed and empowered in a lot of ways but challenges and hopes still thrive. A steady market for their products is now what they are hoping for but to put up an UCLA Village is the ultimate aspiration. A community wherein each member will have his or her own titled house and lot. An attainment for the UCLA members which has around 80% of its members being illegal settlers. The Iloilo City Government, through the City General Services Office with its transparency and confidence-building efforts will continue to explore new ways to uplift the lives of these marginalized waste pickers with new ideas and programs achievable with the efforts of supportive non-government organizations. While most of us are concerned at the alarming number of garbage we produce and on how to dispose of them, the members of the UCLA ironically delight in accepting them. Like Frank Dane, a British actor in the silent era once said: “Remember when $25,000.00 was a success? Now it is a garbage collector.” With this in mind for the Iloilo City General Services, nothing will be impossible.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:09:00 +0000
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