BORACAY — The local government unit of Barangay Balabag, one of the three villages on

the famous resort island of Boracay, has established a material recovery facility (MRF) in
compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Village chief Glenn Sacapano said the facility has been operating smoothly as prescribed by
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Barangay Balabag, which is located in the central portion of the island and host of several
tourism-related businesses, is working at improving its waste disposal system.

The five-hectare materials recovery facility (MRF) serves as the temporary storage of
recyclable garbage as well as composting area for biodegradable wastes.

“Some 80% of the residents and 90% of business establishments have been complying with
the segregation policy. The wastes collected are being brought to the MRF for recycling and
composting,” explained Sacapano.

Balabag LGU received a grant of P250,000 from the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and
Industry Inc. (BCCI) for the improvement of the facility, which was used to be made up of
bamboo.

The chamber, which represents 37 member resorts and establishments, is implementing the
P4-million “Eco-Education Campaign and Material Recovery Facility Project for the Residents
and Tourism-Related Establishments in Boracay Island” with the help of the Private
Enterprise Accelerated Resource Linkages, Phase II (Pearl 2), of the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA).

The project aims to gather all stakeholders to implement ecologically sound solid waste
management which will contribute to the sustainability and viability of Boracay as a tourism
destination.

The project uses the following strategies: information and education campaign; capability
building; establishment of materials recovery facility for each of the three villages on the
island; holding of an annual event to reward establishments with the best solid waste
management system; and holding of the same event that promotes environmental
awareness among students.
The project also provided Barangay Balabag a mini-dump truck as well as two chipping and
shredding machines for processing of waste into compost, said Jeorge D. Billedo, BCCI’s
communication officer.

“Income from selling recyclable materials and organic fertilizers will be used to self-sustain
the MRF and the profit will be allotted to finance the expansion of the facility,” Sacapano
said.

Part of the plan is to develop a model organic vegetable farm to encourage the vermiculture
scheme being adopted at the barangay level as a livelihood program.

” It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness……..”

– Old Chinese Proverb

Barangay Balabag, Boracay

I recently came full circle, bringing a team of Talisay City employees involved in solid waste
management to the Balabag Material Recovery Facility – a project I had helped initiate way
back in 2005. I had heard so many good things about this facility, now a national showcase
for solid waste management practices in the country. I had not been back for a long time,
though, and was overjoyed to see what they had done with the seed we planted long ago.
Back in 2005, Boracay had an open dumpsite and no solid waste management system.
“Boracay Lives!”, a partnership between the Canadian International Development Agency
and the Boracay Chamber of Commerce and Industry built the first structures in this facility
in 2006, donated its first beach garbage truck as well as its first shredding and wood
chipping machines. It also helped in a massive Information and Education Campaign with
Barangay Balabag Captain Glenn Sacapano at the helm of this huge challenge which we
started with the odds stacked against us. In the years that followed, this small initiative was
eventually supported by the Department of Tourism, Boracay Foundation , Inc. as well as a
number of large corporations and has grown in leaps and bounds. Coming back five years
later, I was truly amazed at what this facility had now become – a source of pride for
Boracay and for the people that had started and supported this project.

Turning Over The First Beach Garbage Truck, 2006

Today, the Barangay Balabag MRF processes the segregated waste from close to one million
island visitors each year and over 30,000 island residents. It is also a self-sustaining
operation as income from recycled products, compost fertilizers, garden tiles, charcoal
brickets and even rosaries from waste
Garden Tiles from Crushed Glass, Residual Plastic and Cement

products maintains salaries for its growing staff and enables them to improve on the faciltiy.
The Malay, Aklan local government also recently completed work on its sanitary landfill,
enabling the facility to start transporting its residual waste gathered over a five-year span
while the landfill was being worked on.
Shredding Biodegradable Market Waste

Compost Biodigesting Machine

Charcoal Brickets from Charcoalized Bamboo

Waste Compacting Machine

Vermicomposting Beds
Rosaries made from Recycled Cigarette Cartons

Glass Crushing Machine

The Boracay solid waste management system has truly come full circle, also in an island
that continues to grow in tourist traffic, residents,HOTELS and waste generated. With its
new sanitary landfill in the mainland, it has achieved what almost all municipalities in the
Philippines never get to do. It is estimated that only 3% of all municipalities in the
Philippines are compliant with Republic Act 9003 on Ecological Solid Waste Management. It
is a tribute to the people of Boracay and those who support them that they are part of this
small minority today. What started as a seed of an idea from forward-seeing stakeholders
years ago is now the backbone of keeping clean and green the Philippines’ premier tourist
destination. As Boracay lives, its people continue to ensure its sustainability individually and
collectively. Living true to the island’s common slogan, ” For Boracay……….I Will !”