The Mandaue City Government will provide at least P5 million annually to support the integration of solid waste management education into the curriculum of public schools in the city.
The Mandaue City Council approved on third and final reading an ordinance mandating the annual allocation of funds for the Basic Education Solid Waste Management Program in all Department of Education (DepEd) schools in Mandaue.
Authored by Councilor Carlo Fortuna, the ordinance establishes guidelines for implementing the program, which aims to introduce solid waste management concepts to public elementary and high school students.
Fortuna said the measure is based on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the Mandaue City Government and the DepEd Mandaue City Division, allowing waste management lessons to be incorporated into classroom instruction.
The program will focus on waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and other environmental practices to develop proper waste management habits among students at an early age.
Fortuna said the P5-million annual allocation will cover educational materials and other resources needed by DepEd as the lessons are integrated into existing subjects.
He clarified that the initiative is a local policy and not yet part of the national curriculum, making city funding necessary to ensure its continued implementation.
The DepEd Mandaue City Division will determine which subjects will incorporate solid waste management lessons.
“We are asking DepEd to make it a permanent subject for the curriculum,” Fortuna said.
The councilor said addressing waste management problems requires changing community behavior and building awareness among younger generations.
“We have seen other countries for example if we go to Japan wa gyud kay makit-an nga basura dinha, because proper waste management has already been inculcated from childhood until adulthood,” Fortuna said.
He said the program aims to teach students practical ways of minimizing waste and encourage environmental responsibility through education.
The ordinance will initially apply to public schools in Mandaue City, although private schools are also encouraged to adopt similar programs.
Fortuna said he hopes the initiative could eventually serve as a model for a wider implementation by DepEd nationwide.
While the ordinance sets the minimum annual funding at P5 million, the city government may increase the allocation depending on the resources and requirements identified during implementation.
Photo courtesy of Business Waste
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