Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano with Australian Ambassador Rod Smith during the cleanup drive at Hagonoy Creek.
Getting rid of garbage can now be done in a resourceful way through vermicomposting, a process which turns biodegradable wastes into an eco-friendly fertilizer. This eco-friendly technology was developed by the Philippine Business for Social Progress – Center for Rural Technology Development (PBSP-CRTD). This process was introduced to the Waste Management Unit of Taguig during the Clean-up Drive led by the Australian Embassy in partnership with the City Government of Taguig and Clean Up the Philippines Movement.
Vermicomposting is the process of making texturized, sanitized, and deodorized form of castings made up of organic matters excreted by earthworms.
Prior to putting the worms, the biodegradable trash is crushed and left to decompose for about two weeks. The earthworms then feed on the decomposed materials and its excreted substance called vermicast is eventually mixed with the fertilized soil as organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.
Vermicompost provides plants with the complete and essential nutrition and hastens seed germination, plant growth, flowering, and fruiting. It contains beneficial microorganisms and is proven to be an effective solution to waste management problem, like the case in Taguig.
Vermicomposting is just one of the ways to reduce the garbage in the Hagonoy Creek. Waste management is a shared responsibility, as pointed out by Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano during the Clean Up Drive.
Mayor Cayetano reminded the residents to check their waste disposal habits. “Mas gagaan po kung tulong-tulong. Huwag natin ipasa lahat sa gobyerno ang problema. Hindi naman sila ang nagtatapon ng basura (It would be lighter if everyone?s participating. Let’s not pass all the problems to the government. After all, it’s not the government that dumps the garbage).”
The Clean Up Drive is an activity to promote environmental awareness and community action to reduce vulnerability to natural disaster.