Eco-Savers Program Waste segregation is basic in ecological waste management.

And what better way to educate people about waste segregation and reduction than by starting them young. The local Government introduced a waste reduction program that involved school children. This has enabled the program to instill waste segregation and recycling practices at the household leveL

Objectives: To educate the participating students to practice the 3Rs (reuse, reduce, recycle); To instill the value of environmental concern and economic savings; To provide additional income for the students by capitalizing on the recovery of recyclables; and To establish partnership between the school and the GMA junkshop association. Eco-Savers is an environmental awareness advocacy of the city government that aims to inculcate the importance of waste segregation among residents. Eco-Savers has been an integral part of the environmental awareness campaign, and recognize the valuable contribution of the schools in helping the local government facilitate waste segregation and recycling,

By establishing some form of incentive for managing their solid wastes, we are encouraging students to sort their waste and minimize the generation of garbage in their homes.

The Department of Environment Natural Resources (DENR) the Department of Education (DepEd), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have launched the Eco-savers Program to encourage students to manage their waste by sorting and minimizing the generation of garbage in their homes through some form of incentive. They will get something useful, such as school supplies or cash, in exchange for recyclables they turn in or donate to their schools. The recyclables will then be pooled for final collection by accredited junk shops or recyclers. The program will initially be implemented in 763 public elementary and high schools in the National Capital Region (NCR), concerning some 1.9 million students. The program also enjoins schools to make their own compost from biodegradable wastes, which could then be used as a fertilizer for seedling produced and nurtured under the National Greening Program (NGP).

The DENR has committed a R50-million funding for the initial implementation of the project in Metro Manila, where garbage generation stands at 8,000 tons per day. Of this total, half is composed of food and other organics, a fourth is composed of plastic materials, while 12 percent is paper.

The balance consists of metals (5%) glass (3%)

special and hazardous waste (1%), residuals (4%).

The partnership was formalized earlier in June, when a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed by the DENR, DepEd, MMDA, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the nongovernment Galing Pook Foundation (GPF). The DENR will take the lead in the provision of technical, monitoring, and funding support, with the DepEd handling the training of principals and teachers on the implementation of the program. The DILG and MMDA will take the lead in the collection of processed garbage materials in coordination with accredited recycling firms and junk shops. We congratulate the Department of Environment and Natural Resources headed by Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, the Department of Education headed by Secretary Armin A. Luistro, the Metro Manila Development Authority headed by Chairman Francisco N. Tolentino, the Department

of the Interior and Local Government headed by Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II, and the Galing Pook Foundation headed by its Executive Director Eddie G. Dorotan on their joint efforts to reduce the country's solid waste and maintain a healthy environment through the National Eco-savers Program. Goal :The overall goal of the project is to establish an eco savers program in the public schools of GMA which will significantly impact on the waste recovery program of the Municipal Government. The goal of the program was to have every school establish an ecological solid waste recovery system, thereby reducing solid waste being collected from schools and households. Expected Outputs: 100% of the students and teachers are participating in the eco savers program; The students are able to generate income from the sales of recyclables; The target schools have become advocates of the 3Rs in their community; and The target schools have been partnered with GMA Junkshop Association to be the buyers of the recyclables. Waste by the Numbers Estimated waste generation per day: 230 tons or 690 cubic meters/day Percentage of biodegradable wastes: 45% Percentage of non-biodegradable wastes: 55% (about 80% recyclable) Cost of waste management: PhP1.0 0/kg. or about PhP230,000.00/day