“Change should start in the household level then in the community,” DENR CALABARZON Manila Bay Site Coordinating/Management Office (MBSCMO) Deputy Manager, Cynthia Rozaldo said while stressing the importance of an individual’s initiative to alleviate waste generation.

“Dapat magmula sa indibidwal na tao kung papaanong babawasan ang generation ng basura niya, kung papaanong paghihiwalayin ang mga basura niya, at kung paano niya itatapon ang basura niya,” Rozaldo said.

Photo 2. Piles of trash along, Taytay River in Brgy. San Isidro, Taytay, Rizal (left), and Zapote River in Brgy. Zapote I, Bacoor, Cavite (right)

On one hand, former DENR Calabarzon Regional Executive Director and Alyansa Agrikultura Representative, Arsenio Tanchuling emphasized the significance of mobilizing the stakeholders with different views and interests towards practical solutions to the problem of waste management.

“Tao ang mina-manage, hindi ang basura, at siya rin ang lulutas ng problema… kasama natin sa paglutas ng problema,” Tanchuling said.

He said the approach of dialogue, negotiation and collaboration between the government and the community should be practiced to achieve sustainability in solid waste management efforts. “Kung sustainability ang hinahanap natin sa komplikadong kalagayan, pakikitunguhan kita (community) para lang makisangkot sa problema,” he said.

“Dialogue, hindi ito for the sake na marinig, hindi ito na ma-inform sila, hindi ito consultation. Ito ay dialogue na magkaroon ng common ground para magkaroon ng collaboration at cooperation among stakeholders,” he added.

Tanchuling highlighted the value of building a good relationship between the government and the stakeholders from start to finish. “Ang dialogue, dapat malinaw ang relasyon. Obligado tayo from the start, maglatag tayo ng relasyon sa ating mga stakeholders. Anumang mangyari, kinakailangan nating ipakita ang ating tiwala sa mga stakeholders. Kailangan ng pakikitungo, pakikipagkapwa-tao tungo sa pakikisangkot,” he said.

Tanchuling explained the process of dialogue, negotiation, and collaboration in a webinar on community organizing which was live-streamed via the official Facebook page of the DENR Calabarzon on June 23, 2020.

Photo 3. Webinar on Community Organizing on June 23, 2020 with former DENR CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Arsenio Tanchuling as resource person

“The webinar on community organizing actually helped us to plan our strategy by knowing what attitude to have and what to expect when we are finally down there with the people, people with different beliefs and upbringing. Mr. Arsenio Tanchuling challenged us to look closely to the community so that we will be able to address the problems we may encounter,” MBSCMO-Rizal Staff, Jenesis Erana said.

Mainly participated in by the Manila Bay focal persons from Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, the two-hour online seminar aimed to capacitate the field staff on how to effectively organize the community within the Manila Bay Region towards sustainable waste management practice.

Those who are interested to participate in the initiatives related to the #BattleForManilaBay, you may directly send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . ###