A total of 91 utility workers were recognized for their contributions to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s (SBMA) waste segregation efforts during the 14th Recyclables Collection Event (RCE), receiving grocery packs as part of the proceeds.
The ceremony took place on Monday at Harbor Point Ayala Mall, which marked the beginning of the SBMA’s week-long celebration of Zero Waste Month. The workers received grocery packs worth a total of ₱56,987, sourced from recyclable materials collected from various Freeport stakeholders.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño noted that the collected materials came from businesses within the Subic Bay Freeport, SBMA departments, and local residents. The event, organized by the SBMA Ecology Center, kicked off the Zero Waste Month celebration, which runs from January 13 to January 17.
“This initiative is part of our Race to Carbon Neutrality Program and supports the ongoing ISO 14001:2015 recertification of our agency,” Aliño added.
Amethya Dela Llana, Ecology Center Manager and Senior Deputy Administrator for Regulatory Affairs, explained that the beneficiaries were from Omniworx, the cleaning service provider responsible for maintaining SBMA buildings across the Freeport.
“Omniworx is integral to our waste segregation efforts. They help ensure recyclables are properly sorted, which allows for the efficient delivery of these materials during our bi-annual RCE for proper disposal and recycling,” Dela Llana said.
The turnover ceremony was attended by SBMA Chief of Staff Atty. Von Rodriguez, Dela Llana, and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Provincial Director Enrique Tacbad, who all presented the grocery packs to the Omniworx employees.
Tacbad also highlighted how recycled materials such as coffee sachets and tetra pack juice containers are being transformed into products like handbags and wallets by local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). He also shared that items produced by inmates through the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) using recycled materials were being sold to consumers.
January has been officially declared Zero Waste Month through Proclamation No. 760, series of 2014. This year’s theme, “Food Waste No More and Break Free from Plastics,” encourages consumers to adopt sustainable practices by recycling and repurposing discarded materials as valuable resources.
