The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with the city government of Cauayan, and Isabela State University (ISU), launched the development of material recovery Facilities (MRF) in Cauayan City, Isabela.
The DOST said that aside from recycling, there are meaningful opportunities and smart solutions for waste reduction management across the value chain in developing a circular economy.
The MRF was invented by Victoriano Ocon of Suki Trading Corp. in Cebu City and a member of Filipino Inventors Society Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FISMPC) chaired by Francisco Pagayon, who also promotes the invention.
Pagayon negotiated with the DOST and LGUs for the MRF promotion and distribution from Ocon.
Under Republic Act No. 9003, or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” the DOST has been providing technical assistance and technological support to local government units (LGUs) and other relevant organizations and institutions to comply with the law.
ISU is tasked at monitoring the use of MRF. The machine has 17 components.
Several technologies were developed and deployed in the communities, including strategies and mechanisms to increase public awareness and the capability of LGUs to implement solutions such as the waste analysis and characterization study (WACS) and the establishment of MRFs, among others.
The assistance is beyond the typical MRF in terms of scale, sophistication and level of integration of technologies in its operations.
The MRF is envisioned to be the model and benchmark for other LGUs, particularly the partner LGUs under the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.
It promotes a more sustainable waste management system by diverting waste from landfills and possibly enabling a more viable waste-to-energy conversion in the near future.
The facility is projected to last for 10 to 15 years once turned over to the LGUs, according to Pagayon and Ocon.
This approach aligns with the principles of a circular economy, where by-products like small marble pieces are repurposed into valuable products.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said this could also create a closed-loop system for recycling and transforming waste into new products, which reduces the environmental footprint, creates jobs and supports eco-friendly industries
