HEALTH ISSUES

            In the Municipality of Sergio Osmeña alone, a daily estimated 200-kilogram of generated wastes has been noted of which 75 percent are biodegradable, 15 percent are residual/special waste, and 10 percent are recyclables.  Reiterating that only 10 percent of such wastes are being recycled and composted, a health risk has been posed on the community. During the initial survey, Barangay Biayon was noted to have 73% of the households who do not practice waste segregation and 77% of the households that utilize burning as their method of waste disposal. 

            One of the identified key factors in practicing improper solid waste management are lack of awareness and knowledge among the residents on the importance of waste segregation. Although Republic Act (RA) 9003, an act providing for an Ecological Solid Waste Management Program has been passed in the Philippines, its local implementation is not quite given significant importance among the community. It is for this purpose that the group, in collaboration with the Municipal Planning and Development Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, Barangay Health Board, residents and key leaders of Barangay Biayon, devised a 1-year community health plan to attain unified solutions to answer the health needs of the community as a whole.

The Solution.

• Basura Kid Presentation

• Basura Monster Skit Contest

• Barangay Solid Waste Management Committe Creation

• Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) Drums Distribution

• The Green Revolution: Inter-Purok Contest for the Cleanest and Greenest Purok

The Outcome.

          For sustainability, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing was conducted among MENRO, Asset-Based Community Development with Equity (ABCDE) Foundation, SWM Committee and ADZU-SOM students to turn-over the responsibilities and continue the Green Revolution that was initially launched. Recently, with the help of MENRO, SWM committee and ADZU-SOM students, an ordinance was passed to impose the practice of proper solid waste management and penalize any person who violated the law in the municipality of Sergio Osmeña, Sr. This will be monitored by the MENRO officer, Mr. John G. Fuerzas, as implementing body. Information Education Communication (IEC) campaign materials were installed in every purok station to educate and remind the people about the ordinance. At the same time the SWM committee holds their regular meeting for the supervision and evaluation of the program.

The Objective.