Davao eyes more eco-friendly programs

FILE PHOTO/ Davao City (Photo: Mike Gonzalez / Wikipedia)

DAVAO CITY — The city government is eyeing more eco-friendly programs after it launched Friday the Biodiesel Fuel Project with the help of the Japan International Cooperating Agency (JICA).

This was revealed Sunday by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, saying she is looking for more eco-friendly programs to benefit not only Davao but the rest of the regions in the country.

Protecting the environment is one of the top socioeconomic agenda of the mayor.

The biodiesel plant alone would bolster her environment thrust.

Last Friday, the city government launched a three-month test run of 30 public utility vehicles and garbage collection trucks of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) to determine the viability and sustainability of using recycled cooking oil into biodiesel fuel.

The biodiesel project is an initiative of the city government with the help of the JICA using the technology of recycling used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. It is the technology offered to the city government for free by Biomass Japan Inc. and Shinozaki Transport Warehouse Co. Ltd.

The test run will be conducted from September to November.

The mayor said using biodiesel fuel would benefit consumers and even the city government in terms of fuel expenses.

Under the project, the city government piloted the collection of used cooking oil from households and establishments from 10 barangays in the first district as collection points. It will not only protect the environment but de-clog canals given that used cooking oil is being dumped into canals.

According to Shegito Mizumoto, the trainer from Japan Biomass, the Davao city government is the sole LGU recipient of the biodiesel project. JICA chose Davao as a pilot area for this project because of its efficient enforcement of local legislation.

Mizumoto said Biomass Japan will provide the training and the technology which costs about PHP10 million but the technology is given to the city for free. Biomass Japan will install the facility and train operation and maintenance staff of CENRO. The machine can produce 3,000 liters of biodiesel per day. The 1,000 liters used cooking oil is equivalent to 900 liters biodiesel fuel.

Duterte-Carpio said the facility, which harnesses technology to transform used oil to biodiesel fuel, is a welcome development — especially since waste management is one of the key priorities of the city government. The mayor remains steadfast in preserving the environment amid the fast growing development in the city.

“With this project, we hope to encourage all Dabawenyos to take on a more active role in preserving the environment,” she said.

“Nature’s gifts are priceless, jewels worn by this planet that we can never redeem once sold to industrialization,” the mayor said.

(PNA)