Source: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM

 The biofences have been extremely effective with 60% less rubbish ending up in the ocean from
this area, according to World Economic Forum.

 Up to 13 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans each year and around 90% of it comes from
just 10 rivers, according to a study published in 2017. Reducing plastic in these major rivers by
50% could reduce the amount of waste that flows from river to oceans by 45%.
 A biofences is a man-made structure that acts as barrier extending from one river bank to
another.
 Ultimately the biofence blocks floating plastic waste on the river surface preventing it from
being carrying further down stream and entering the ocean.
 The fences are made up of plastic bottles and containers that can float, which are stuffed into
mesh netting.

 At first glance, the primitive presence sitting low in the water looks like a crocodile.
 The technology is smart, simple and cheap -- using plastic to trap plastic. And given that the
waste is recycled -- a valuable new source of jobs.
 Guatemalan Environment Minister Alfonso Alonzo started getting questions from officials in
neighbouring countries. They wanted to know how to replicate the success of the country's
biofences.

 Honduras and Dominican Republic have already introduced their own versions. Plans for
Panama, El Salvador and Argentina are underway. And there’s interest from beyond the region -
- Malaysia and Somalia are also working on the idea.
 Many projects have been financed by USAID and the Guatemalans have been generous both in
sharing their expertise and in recognising the influence of the video, which was highlighted at
September’s UN General Assembly in New York.

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2018/12/28/1880517/cpa-wants-bio-
fence-installed-tejero#I1d34yJYvsCz1v0D.99

 The Cebu Port Authority is asking the Cebu City Environmental and Natural Resources Office
(CENRO) to install bio-fence at SitioSilangan, Barangay Tejero to prevent garbage from entering
Pier 3 in the port area.

 In a letter dated November 28, 2018, CPA General Manager Angelo Verdan said the bio-fence
installed along Mahiga Creek has helped reduced the trashes into the port’s berthing areas.
 Since the bio-fences have been effective in minimizing the volume of garbage that goes to the
port area, Verdan requested for another bio-fence to be installed in Barangay Tejero.
 Ccenro launched a biofence project that would begin to change the state of Cebu City’s seas.
 The biofence is a 10 meter floating fence made of over 400 recycled plastic bottles held together
by a fishnet.
 It serves to block garbage from the upstreams flowing into the seas.
 Just one month after the installation of the first batch of biofences, people began to see the
changes they brought.
 The barangay captain did not only notice a difference in the sea but also changes in some of his
barangay constituents
 The barangay commissioned 20 jobless residents who work in shifts per week, to maintain the
biofences.
 Their new job of maintaining the biofences gave an opportunity for these people to not only
survive but to also find meaning in life.
 Not only did seas become clean, the lives of some of our residents became clean as well.
 The biofence collects an average of 4.6 tons of garbage per week and people are needed to
collect the trash daily.
 The barangay are responsible for commissioning people to collect the garbage.
 Aside from solving the garbage problem, the goal of the biofence is to encourage residents to
take an active role in the developments of their community.
 On its first month, the biofence has been successful in collecting over 26 tons of garbage.
 When it comes to its performance and usefulness to clean our coastal areas and river, the
barangay captain says it a big success and hopes to implement this in all barangay.

What are the impacts of plastics on human health and ecosystems?

 Humans have managed to dump tons upon tons of garbage into the ocean. Of the most
devastating elements of this pollution is that plastics takes thousands of years to decay.
 As a result, fish and wildlife are becoming intoxicated. Consequently the toxins from the
plastics have entered the food chain, threatening human health.
 Chemicals in plastics are released into the water as well as the atmosphere. Fish easily
contaminated from the chemicals in the water. Different plastics spread throughout the
ocean.
 In fact, not only do the toxins in plastic affect the ocean, but acting like sponges, they
soak up other toxins from the outside sources before entering the ocean. As these
chemicals are ingested by animals in the ocean, this is not good for humans.
 We as humans ingest contaminated fish and mammals.Direct toxicity from plastics
comes from lead, cadmium and mercury. These toxins have also been found in many
fish in the ocean, which is very dangerous to humans.
 Other toxins in plastic are directly linked to cancers, birth defects, immune systems
problems and childhood development issues.
 One of the most effective things we could all do as members of this fragile ecosystem is
to be responsible for our trash.
 Our tendency as humans to be irresponsible about cleaning up after ourselves is about
cleaning up after ourselves is about to get us in trouble. We risk losing many species in
the ocean as well as negatively affecting ourselves
 The average person produces a half a pound of plastic waste every day. No wonder the
oceans are filling up with waste.
 I think part of the problem is that we don’t recognize how this issue starts with the
individual. There are obviously life style changes we can make to solve this problem.
 What causes poor track records of waste management?

 Irresponsible garbage hauling companies and the presence of open dump sites near
rivers are two reasons why the Philippines is among the world’s top ocean polluters.
 The Philippines has among the highest trash collection rates in Southeast Asia yet it’s
the world’s 3rd biggest source of plastic leaking into the ocean. The study found that 74%
of the plastics leaking into the ocean from the Philippines comes from garbage that has
already been collected by haulers and garbage trucks. This amounts to 386,000 tons of
plastic trash.
 Only 26% or 135,000 tons of plastics in seas actually comes from garbage that is not
collected. The study attributed the leakage of collected garbage to two factors: illegal
dumping by garbage hauling companies and open dump sites located near waterways.
 The second major source of leaked garbage after collection are open dump sites which
are typically near waterways. The study specifically names as an example the open
dump of Dagupan City in Pangasinan which is located right on the coastline. The
decision by local governments to dump sites near waterways is often due to financial
considerations. “Land adjacent to rivers tends to be cheaper than in other parts of the
country and waste will intermittently be carried away by heavy rains or currents,
refreshing the capacity of the dump site to receive more waste.”
 Open dump sites are illegal in the country under the Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000. But there are still 600 of them in the country.
 Sanitary landfills is the only type of disposal site allowed by the law. But sanitary landfills
are costly to construct.
 Local governments in the Philippines often lack either political will or the budget to
construct such facilities. Waste management is technical and very expensive. It needs
lands, money and a sanitary land fill is hard to run.

How can we reduce river plastics prior to it reaching seas and estuaries through innovation and
community participation?

 The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has urged the public to
be more responsible in managing garbage since waste, particularly plastic, can be
devastating for marine diversity.
 Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has advised the public to refrain from using single-
use plastic items which is usually end up polluting the oceans and waterways.
Schedule of Thesis work:
April
3rd week – seek for possible areas / check area problems
4th week – interview nearby residents / start collecting plastic bottles for the model
May
1st week – gather datas from government agencies and officials involved
2nd week – research informations from standard manuals and technical references.
3rd week – canvass of materials needed for the model
4th week – model making and sketchup/autocad design
June
1st week – documentation process/ preparation of final papers
2nd week – finalization of needed papers for presentation

Budget:
Transporation expenses- twice a week visit = 100 x 5 members = P500 x 2 visits x 8 weeks = P8,000
Food expenses – 70 x 5 members = 350 x 2 visits x 8 weeks = P5,600
Printing expenses – 200 x 5 members = P1,000
Mesh/fishnet – 10m/fence; say P145 per 1m = P1450 per fence