The Quezon City government is encouraging the urban poor to help in the promotion of an innovative, environment-friendly and energy-saving project called “Isang Litrong Liwanag.”
QC Mayor Herbert M. Bautista said the QC government is supporting this worthwhile project of the Payatas Poverty Alleviation Foundation, Inc. which will bring natural light to the homes of the poor, mostly scavengers whose livelihood depends on the Payatas Sanitary Landfill.
Isang Litrong Liwanag Project promotes the use of a lighting device made of one liter plastic bottle of any soft drinks brand which is filled with water and placed in the hole of the house roof to provide illumination like an electric bulb.
QC had earned Gawad Galing Pook awards for three times for outstanding local governance program including the transformation of Payatas dumpsite.
From the start of rehabilitation of the dumpsite, many innovations that took place in the area have benefited many residents, according to Payatas Operation Group (POG) head Jameel Jaymalin.
The transformation of the dumpsite into a sanitary landfill had provided extra income to waste pickers thru a tire retrieval project and thru recycling where they recover residual plastic materials and sell them to cement manufacturers who use the residual plastics as alternative fuel.
Jaymalin said “the transformation of Payatas dumpsite had shown what good leadership and good governance can do to an urban poor community. The success story of Payatas dumpsite, particularly the projects instituted in the area, is an honor and pride of QC that deserve acknowledgement and an award,” Jaymalin said.
Meanwhile, Jaymalin revealed that POG and other concerned departments and national government agencies are strengthening the capacity of the Payatas disposal facility to cope up with any emergency that may result from its being situated three to four kilometers away from the West Valley Fault Line.
He said that safety measures had already been undertaken including slope re-profiling and grading of uneven surfaces to fortify the foundation of the city’s disposal facility. Maureen Quiñones, PAISO
