THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently forged ties with the Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA) to train farmers on proper management of agricultural waste, considered a major pollution hazard.
The DENR-TCA partnership is an important step toward addressing environmental problems associated with improper management of waste from farm operations, Director Jonas Leones of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau said.
“We need to train our farmers on how to properly manage agricultural waste in order to reduce risks to the environment, as well as human health,” Leones said.
Leones signed an agreement in behalf of Environment Secretary Ramon JP Paje. TCA President Dr. Max Guillermo signed for the college.
Under the agreement, the TCA will put up Satellite Ecology Center within its campus in Camiling. The TCA will also develop and hold short-term training courses on ecological solid-waste management for farmers, as well as other stakeholders.
The DENR will provide an initial fund of P300,000 for TCA to develop training modules and conduct the training.
Aside from farmers, the TCA will also train government workers, teachers, agricultural technicians and junk-shop owners on solid-waste management.
Leones said the undertaking was expected to develop an “army of ESWM trainers,” who use existing technologies and innovations aimed at reducing waste in the agricultural sector.
Republic Act (RA) 9003 defines agricultural wastes as those “generated from planting or harvesting of crops, trimming or pruning of plants and wastes or runoff materials from farms or fields.”
The most common agricultural wastes in the Philippines are rice husk, rice straw, coconut husk, coconut shell and bagasse.
Waste from farm operations can pollute the environment resulting in impacts to water quality.
The signing of the DENR-TCA deal was among the highlights of the 14th anniversary celebration of the implementation of RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, held recently at the DENR central office in Quezon City.