The city government’s agenda to provide a better environment for its people got a boost after Mayor Inday Sara Duterte led the inauguration of the Biodiesel Fuel Plant in Ma-a on Friday.
“I am congratulating and thanking Biomass Japan Inc., the Japanese government, Japan International Cooperating Agency (Jica), Cenro and other government agencies for all your efforts to install this facility and to bring this project to fruition,” Mayor Inday said during the blessing of the plant located at the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) composting facility.
Mayor Inday 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.
While still mayor of the city in 2015, President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive order No. 32, which mandated the proper storage, treatment, transport, export, processing, reprocessing, recycling and disposal of used cooking oil, with Cenro as the lead implementing agency.
Since then, the city through Cenro along with Biomass Japan, Inc. and Shinozaki Transport Warehouse Co., Ltd in cooperation with the Japanese government and JICA, started the project with the aim of transforming used oil into biodiesel fuel.
Solid waste management is also among Inday Sara’s Top 10 priorities. The others were poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, health, education, agriculture, tourism, transportation planning and traffic management, peace and order, and disaster risk reduction and mitigation.
Even as the city has taken on the challenge of urbanization, Mayor Inday said Davao remains steadfast in preserving the environment. This makes this biodiesel plant timely and appropriate, she added.
“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.”
While modernization is at hand, Mayor Inday said, the city can at least reduce its repercussions with the biodiesel fuel plant.
“Truly Japan loves Davao and the Philippines,” she added.
Meanwhile, the mayor said she is looking for more eco-friendly programs to benefit not only Davao but the rest of the regions in the country. CIO
