Glenn Sacapaňo has been appointed as Boracays Operations Manager for the Boracay Solid Waste Action Team also called B-Swat. B-Swat is in charge of all of Boracays waste disposal and has also the task to create a centralized MRF in Manoc Manoc. Even before his appointment as Operations Manager, Glenn Sacapaňo was known as ‘action man’ regarding waste disposal. He initiated, together with the Boracay Chamber, Boracays first Material Recovery Facility against much resistance from the community. Today the MRFs on the island serve other localities as an example on waste disposal. The Boracay chamber Newsletter team interviewed Glenn Sacapaňo about his new job.

Newsletter Team: Glenn Sacapaňo what is your official designation?

 Glenn Sacapaño: I am now the Operations Manager of all of Boracays MRFs and also the B-Swat, the street cleaners; in short I am in charge of all of Boracays garbage disposal. I am also tasked to create the centralized Material Recovery Facility for the island.

You have this in Black and White?

I have a one year contract as operations manager for Boracay. That’s why I went to every barangay to tell and explain them the new set up. I told them that if they can manage their MRFs properly, then my job is only to supervise. The barangay captains and the MRF employees have all agreed that all MRFs on the island should be managed only by the operations manager.

Where will the centralized MRF be located?

The municipality has leased property in Manoc Manoc. However, there is no budget allocated by the municipality to construct a centralized MRF. That means that we have to use the three existing MRFS for now. For the Balabag MRF we have secured a 5 year lease. 

You are also handling the residual waste which is piling up in immense quantities at the MRFs, especially in Balabag and Manoc Manoc?

Yes, this will a huge task, but I am confident, that with new machines the Department of Tourism is bringing in with the new project together with the Boracay Chamber, I will be able to reduce the amount of the residuals at least 50% for this year.

The municipality of Malay has allocated 2.5 million Peso to ship out residuals to the landfill on the mainland. Why is not some of that money allocated to construct the centralized MRF as soon the amount of residuals to be shipped out will be reduced significantly?

Yes, that would be a good idea, but this is up to the LGU to act on that. This is all in the 10-year solid waste master plan done by the Japanese through JICA. The master plan is finished, but there is no money to implement it. Alone the proposed landfill in Malay is very expensive.

The chamber recommended to the Boracay Solid waste Management board to implement the JICA master plan in segments, step by step, to make it feasible.

Yes, he centralized MRF would be the first step, but also for this we have no budget.

Glenn, how many people have you employed?

I supervise right now 102 people. We need, however, to hire more once the machine from the DOT/PCCI-Boracay Solid Waste project arrives, which will pulverize the plastic residuals. The pulverized residuals will then mixed with concrete and pressed into forms, as hollow blocks for example.

How many trucks do you operate to clean Boracay Island from the garbage?

All in all 10 trucks: 8 big ones and two smaller ones, which are mostly used for monitoring.

One of the big problems is all the trash disposed carelessly along the White Beach. This is also noticed by many tourists. How do you intend to address this problem?

One of the components of the DOT/PCCI-Boracay Solid Waste Reduction project is to put trash bins all 10 meters along the White Beach path. The trash bins are constructed in such a way, that it will be impossible for people like residents or unscrupulous resort managers to put their household trash there, as it has happened before. These trash bins can also not be stolen. We will then empty the trash bins everyday twice: in the morning and in the afternoon.

During Holy Week and also during weekends with man events the White Beach is littered with hundreds of empty bottles of Rum, beer and other leftovers. Only a few front beach establishment owners make an effort to clean up to the water line. Most are only cleaning in the vegetation line—if at all. How can your team address this problem?

Yes, this is a problem we have difficulties to address. This is an attitude problem. Before Holy week we distributed a Memo through the B-SWAT encouraging front beach establishment owners and operators to control loitering in front of their establishments and have the beach cleaned daily, but it is very hard to implement. Even with 102 people working for us we cannot be on duty 24/7.

Are you still doing information campaigns regarding segregation of garbage?

We use the monitoring teams to inform people about the segregation.

We have seen many garbage piles not segregated and not collected in the alleys of Bulabug.

We also monitor in Bulabug and we also hand out fines, resp. citation tickets.

What is the amount in fines you generated this year?

A violation ticket is Peso 2,500. As of the end of February 2008 we have collected already 54,000 Peso.

Who gets this amount? The B-SWAT?

No, not to us. It goes to the account of the municipality of Malay.

Who get’s more violation tickets: the commercial or residential sector?

More or less the same: half—half.

And does a majority of stakeholders segregate properly?

I would say that up to 90% of the commercial sector is now segregating satisfyingly. The residents are behind and I have scheduled meetings with every sitio on the island to tackle a better compliance rate in residential areas. However, this is not an easy task. Look at Yapak: with the huge developments there we are dealing with 17 contractors with more than 2,000 workers. This means there are more workers in Yapak than registered residents! I have also scheduled meetings in barangay Yapak to address this problem with construction workers.

Glenn Sacapaño, how many hours a day are you working?

The same as before, when I was barangay captain fighting the WOW or War on Waste: more than eight! I’m not getting tired and the support for a clean Boracay with a well organized waste disposal is growing.

BORACAY ISLAND GARBAGE FACTS

GARBAGE PRODUCED: March 1 to 31, 2008

Commercial establishments, residents, transients and visitors produced he amount of 1,323 cubic meters of garbage, which was deposed of with 401 trucks to the three Material Recovery Facilities, MRF, in Boracay Island. Not counted are the truckloads of garbage deposed of by big establishments directly to the MRFs. Details:

Number of trips with trucks

o Balabag Recyclables = 114 trips
o Balabag Biodegradables = 62 trips
o Balabag Garden Waste = 62 trips
o LGU Residual = 62 trips
o Manoc Manoc Residual = 51 trips
o Yapak Residual = 50 trips

(1 truck = 3.3 cubic meters)