On November 6, the Community Development Office (CDO), represented by Mrs. Carissa Enteria and Ms. Andrei Lorence Bredonia, along with National Service Training Program(NSTP) chair Mr. Jose Andres Serrano, NSTP students, representatives from the Central Student Council, and members from the three partner barangays—Bagong Silang, Harapin ang Bukas, and Daang Bakal—led by Kap. Richie Bassig, visited Barangay Concepcion Uno in Marikina City. The purpose of the visit was to attend a Zero Waste Management seminar and tour their Materials Recovery Facility.
In response to the growing concern over mismanaged waste disposal, the CDO, NSTP, and Mrs. Jyr Marie Reyes from the College of Computer Studies and Engineering have collaborated to initiate the first steps of CDO SOCI’s Solid Waste Management program. Barangay Concepcion Uno, one of the seventy-two (72) recipients of the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance for Barangays (SGLGB), serves as a model for sustainable practices.
The JRU group received a warm welcome from Punong Barangay Gerardo Sto. Domingo, his councilors, the barangay secretary, and the treasurer during a short program held in the barangay function hall. The barangay chair and his secretary spoke about their efforts to sustain their zero waste program. In appreciation, CDO and NSTP presented them with certificates and tokens from the Marketing and Communications Office.
Following the program, the group was taken to the Materials Recovery Facility, where they learned how food waste is transformed into soil conditioners using a bioreactor and how solid waste is properly segregated.
Overall, the experience was truly eye-opening for all participating in the benchmarking activity.