DAVAO City is the awardee in the Clean Land category in a recent ASEAN Countries survey. With this title, Davao City was chosen to host the three-day, September 2 to 4, 2016, environmental summit forum.
City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) Chief Eliza Madriaso announced that some 200 delegates from the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and Malaysia will attend the Asean Environmental Summit.
The agenda includes the meeting sessions on the outstanding practices of our country concerning the solid wastes disposal management and the greening of the urban sections of the city.
The summit will also highlight the opportunity to showcase some of our famous tourists spots for the delegates to the summit. All of these goals were accomplished by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) as the main organizing body of the summit.
The most modern successful solid waste management practice in Davao featuring the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen in Tugbok District was visited by the delegates. This was built in compliance with the Republic Act 9003 and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of year 2000. It is in a 3.8 hectare property landfill. It is operated on the principle of waste segregation starting from each home to the landfill site.
As an environmentalist and columnist of this paper, I had witnessed the saga of the problems of waste management when citizens did not follow the proper processes of the program.
Wastes were littered without sorting in every street corner around the worn off garbage disposal bins where the government spent millions of our taxes. Landfills were built anywhere in abandoned lots in a district without following the scientific way of construction. All these brought in more problems than solutions to the failed undertakings.
The model of the scientifically constructed landfill visited by the delegates has these features. These contain the wastes matter after proper sorting from houses. Biodegradable wastes are separated from non- biodegradable ones.
Then, the principle of the three R's - Refuse, Recycle, and Reuse are done. "May pera sa basura" adage is popular. Not a thing is wasted. The remaining wastes go to the properly constructed dump site. This landfill has the following features. It has the leachate retention pond. Leachate is the juicy product of decaying wastes. It should not render the land polluted by it if not siphoned to the retention pond. Other safety features are the monitoring wells, and the drainage system gas vents.
The delegates were brought to the sites of the Urban Greening of Davao.
The Cenro east and the community elementary schools joined the executive order to implement the program. They should plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares by year 2017.
The trees are to be planted at the entrance to the Davao International Airport, Cabantian road and Buhangin. Participating groups are from students, faculty, and DENR officials. 200 narra and mahogany trees are to be planted near the entrance to the airport.
Agreements were signed that the projects must be maintained up to completion like providing the needs of the young trees up to adult stage.
The delegates were scheduled to see the chief tourists spots of Davao.
Topping the list is Mount Apo, the highest mountain peak in the Philippines about 2,954 meters above sea level. Too bad, right now after a major fire destroyed a major part of the mountain, no visitors are allowed to allow rehabilitation of the burned areas.
Another tourist spot is the Island Garden City of Samal. It provides relaxation, recreation, and swimming with its 70 resorts having world class facilities. Famous is the Pearl Farm Beach Resort. The Monfort Bat Cave is found here. it is the largest colony of fruit bats in the world.
Davao City is the home for the famous Philippine Eagle, the national bird of our country. A visit to its Eagle Foundation complex is a must. The People's Park is famous for its indigenous sculptures and lighted fountains.
Durian Dome is found near the City Hall. Durian is a delicious, spikely fruit with a pungent odor. It is Davao's pride. It is said to smell like hell but tastes like heaven. Try it.
Rizal Park is a picturesque assembly area with its artistically planned roof adorned by two steel sculptures of the Philippine Eagle carved by Kublai Milan and the whole edifice designed by Architect Francis Hidalgo.
Crocodile Park is a venue for recreation and popular assemblies. Eden Nature Park high in a peak is a sight with its numberless plants, recreation areas, hotel, and amenities.
The Davao cuisine is unique with its Tuna dishes. Native fruits abound throughout the year with durian, marang, mangosteen, rambutan, mangoes, lanzones. Davao City also has numerous waterfalls which can be visited by hiring "HabalHabal " a motorcycle with seats for 2 to 4 passengers. Davao is my adopted city since 1999. No regrets. It is clean healthful, friendly. Strangers greet you with a smile.
Our present President Rodrigo Duterte built this city with its disciplined citizens, very low or zero crime rates, clean, and healthy surroundings. The mayor rules with an iron fist for discipline but with a gentle heart for anyone in need. I know that. I have seen it. I am sure the delegates of the Asean Environmental Summit will agree with me.
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