PEA 2A and PEA 2B Senior Citizen Association was hailed the first-place winner in the “Search for Best Eco-Garden and Solid Waste Management Practices in the City of San Pedro” of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON Manila Bay Site Coordinating and Management Office (MBSCMO) and San Pedro City Environment and Natural Resources Office, on June 13, 2022.

The said association also won the Best Landscape Eco-Garden special award. The second and third places went to Rosario Complex Homeowners Association and Brgy. Fatima, which were also given the Most Innovative Eco-Garden and Most Improved Eco-Garden special awards, respectively.

Special awards were also awarded to Brgy. GSIS (Most Promising Eco-Garden), Brgy. Laram (Most Improved Eco-Garden), Brgy. Sampaguita (Most Innovative Eco-Garden), Manggahan Excess Lot Community Association (Most Resourceful Eco-Garden), Brgy. Pacita 2 (Most Compliant Barangay – Financial Liquidation), and Brgy. Chrysanthemum (Most Diversified Eco-Garden).

“Napaka-swerte po ng siyam na nakasali sa eco-garden competition na ito, at natutuwa akong marinig na gusto itong i-replicate ng City ENRO sa iba pang barangay ng San Pedro,” DENR Calabarzon MBSCMO Deputy Regional Coordinator, For. Violeta Masagnay said.

She emphasized that the eco-garden project aims to address food security through the Barangay Gulayan Program, and to address climate change and promote the use of compost material in the eco-gardens. 

“70 percent ng basura ay galing sa ating mga kabahayan, at 50 percent po ay mga biodegradable na galing sa ating kusina. Kung sa bahay pa lang po ay nakokontrol na natin ang mga biodegradable waste, hindi na po makakarating yan sa mga kanal, ilog, Laguna Lake, Manila Bay, at lalo na sa ibang bansa,” Masagnay said while emphasizing the importance of composting biodegradable waste at the household level.

Connecting the ceremonial awarding to the theme of this year’s Philippine Environment Month “Aksyon Para sa Natatanging Mundo, San Pedro City ENRO Head, Marilou Balba said the participants’ establishment of their respective eco-gardens is already an action to protect and save the Earth.

The nine participating barangays and homeowners’ associations in San Pedro, Laguna were judged by MBSCMO Laguna Assistant Focal Person, For. Melvin Lalican; San Pedro City Agriculturist, Engr. Enrique Loyola; San Pedro City Tourism, Culture and Arts OIC, John Manzano; Masagnay; and Balba. The preliminary judging was conducted on November 15-16, 2021 while the final judging was on May 5-6, 2022.

“Huwag po tayong magsawang maggawa ng compost na magagamit natin sa halaman at huwag din tayong magsawang mag-segregate kasi kapag hindi tayo nag-segregate, nag-reduce, nag-recycle, nag-ayos ng ating basura, ay hindi po natin alam baka by 2030 o 2050 ay mas mainit pa rito (ang ating mararanasan),” Masagnay urged the locals.###