Called the Green Police, they wake up very early and proceed to the waste collection area at around 5:00 AM to make sure that bags of garbage brought there by residents are properly segregated.
It has been six years now since they committed to this responsibility, and they have not lost enthusiasm. They are grandmothers and mothers organized by the Bontoc Local Government Unit (LGU) through the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO). They have responsibilities at home and office work; they have businesses to run and rice fields to tend too; but they have the time and commitment to waste management. They do not see it as a burden.
This has become routine to the women in the four central villages of Bontoc to include Barangays Samoki, Caluttit, Poblacion and Bontoc Ili. For an hour every morning, they ensure that garbage is segregated and the public is informed on how to properly segregate their waste. This is their initiative and contribution to solving the garbage problem in the capital town. For many years, Bontoc used to operate an open dump site in Matoytoy-ok, Caluttit above the Chico River until the Kalinga Anti-Pollution Action Group (KAPAG) filed for a Writ of Kalikasan at the Court of Appeals (CA) against the Bontoc LGU in 2012. The municipality acknowledging its obligation to observe the prohibition on the operation of a dumpsite as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 9003, boldly decided to close the facility. e.
How the Green Police started
The Green Police members were neither chosen or hired by the municipal government to solve the garbage problem in Bontoc. They are women who volunteered their time and effort without expecting monetary compensation or reward. When the municipal government sponsored a training for prospective Green Police members in June 2013, these women enthusiastically responded and signed in.
Aurelia P. Ofo-ob was one among those who attended the seminar. Together with other participants, they were trained on how to re-use and recycle cellophanes turning these into bottled bricks, flower pots, table clothes, bags, wallets and cellphone cases, among others.
Utilizing the knowledge and skills that Aurelia and her co-participants have acquired, and with guidance from the MENRO, they also organized themselves as the Green Police
Embracing challenges
Change is not easy. It cannot happen overnight. The same with making the public segregate their waste at home or at their business establishments before bringing these to the waste collection area. This was the first problem encountered by the Green Police when the “Segregation at Source” and “No Segregation, No Collection” were implemented by the municipal government.
Aurelia, detailed at the waste collection area along the road in Kalonglong narrated the struggles they had to face every time garbage was collected and how they coped.
When the segregation of biodegradable, non-biodegradable and residual wastes was introduced, not everyone was responsive even with the massive Information Education Campaign (IEC) conducted by the municipal government on garbage management. Some stubbornly brought their garbage unsegregated, others half- heartedly segregated their waste when asked by the Green Police at the collection posts, and there were few who irresponsibly stressed that “garbage is garbage, so leave it as it is.”
Still, the Green Police stood their ground and patiently explained to the residents the reason for the strict implementation of solid waste management policies. Like teaching a child the alphabet, the Green Police patiently showed and taught the public proper waste segregation practices. Their task for the day did not end with policing those who brought their garbage at the waste collection posts.
“We leave the collection area when the garbage truck leaves with all the garbage then we knock from door to door to check their garbage bins and reminded them of the schedule of garbage collection and proper waste segregation,” Aurelia relayed.
As observed, those who were staying as transients or in boarding houses were the common violators segregate at source policy and the schedule of bringing out their garbage. Some even brought their unsegregated garbage to the waste collection posts the night before the schedule.
The garbage would be scattered by stray dogs. The Green Police would patiently sweep and collect the unsegregated garbage. They do it five times a week, for free. And they will not back out as they stress that garbage segregation and proper disposal is the shared responsibility of every one.
Thus, the Green Police appeal to those who live near the garbage collection area to help them by reporting those who dump their garbage outside of the garbage collection schedule and report it to the Green Police and/or barangay officials.
Since the Green Police was organized, improved compliance by the public can be observed. Now, rarely does the Green Police see scattered garbage, rarely do they see unsegregated garbage, and rarely do they hear complaints from the public.
Additional responsibilities were given to them, and they accepted these with gusto. The Green Police were given the green signal by Bontoc Mayor Franklin C. Odsey to issue citation tickets to those who litter, spit, as well as those establishments and persons who use styrofoam and plastic bags to pack or wrap dry goods.
The municipal government recognizes
For health, sanitation and safety, they were each provided by the municipal government a pair of boots, gloves and a flashlight. Apart from this, they were also provided uniforms including a vest and a jacket to keep them warm especially when they go out in the early morning.
Recognizing their industry, patience and dedication, Mayor Franklin C. Odsey together with members of the Sangg uniang Bayan in 2016 gratefully allocated from the municipality’s annual budget a P1,000.00 honoraria per month of every member of the Green Police. This was increased to P1, 200.00 per month in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Even with this token appreciation of their efforts, the Bontoc Green Police say they will continue to help in waste management not for fame or reward. They also do not take all the credit on how garbage disposal was put in order in the locality. What matters to them is that people listened and saw that everyone has a part to play in finding a solution to the garbage problem. They are more than happy that they made a difference on the attitude of the community towards garbage.
The Green Police deserves all the accolades one can come up with. Their contribution to society’s welfare is certainly gargantuan as this should be emulated by millions of communities around the world. ** Alpine L. Killa, Bontoc –LGU
