THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with the City Government of Cauayan, and Isabela State University (ISU), officially launched recently the establishment of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) in Cauayan City, Isabela.
Besides recycling, there are meaningful opportunities and smart solutions for waste reduction management across the value chain in developing a circular economy.
The MRF was invented by Victoriano Ocon of Suki Trading Corporation in Cebu City and a member of Filipino Inventors Society Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FISMPC), chaired by Francisco “Popoy” Pagayon, who also promotes the invention.
Pagayon has negotiated with the DOST and LGUs for the MRF promotion and distribution from Ocon.
Since the proclamation of Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” DOST has been providing technical assistance and technological support to Local Government Units (LGUs) and other relevant organizations and institutions to comply with the law. ISU is tasked at monitoring the use of MRF. The machine has 17 components.
Several technologies were developed and deployed in the communities, including strategies and mechanisms to increase public awareness and the capability of LGUs to implement solutions such as the “waste analysis and characterization study (WACS)” and the establishment of MRFs, among others.
This assistance is beyond the typical MRF in terms of scale, sophistication, and level of integration of technologies in its operations.
This MRF is envisioned to be the model and benchmark for other LGUs, particularly the partner LGUs under the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program. The facility will promote a more sustainable waste management system by diverting waste from landfills and possibly enabling a more viable waste-to-energy conversion in the near future.
Once turned over to the LGUs, the facility is projected to last for 10-15 years, according to Pagayon and Ocon.
Additionally, this approach aligns with the principles of a Circular Economy, where by-products like small marble pieces are repurposed into valuable products. This can also create a closed-loop system for recycling and transforming waste into new products, which reduces our environmental footprint, creates jobs, and supports eco-friendly industries, according to DOST Secretary, Dr. Renato U. Solidum Jr.
Solidum Jr., Undersecretary Sancho A. Mabborang for DOST Regional Operations, and Cauayan City Mayor Caesar “Jaycee” S. Dy Jr., ISU President Dr. Ricmar Aquino., and DOST R02 Regional Director Dr. Virginia G. Bilgera and others attended the activity.
