Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa and the Mayor of the Municipality of Buguias Mr. Melchor D. Diclas signed the grant contract for “The Project for the Construction of Biodegradable Waste Composting for Environment and Farmland Soil Enrichment” on March 17, 2015 at the Embassy of Japan. The total amount is US$ 91,599 (approximately 4.08 million pesos) and is funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP).
Municipality of Buguias is the biggest producer of highland vegetables in the province of Benguet. As a mechanism to increase production, farmers used massive amount of inorganic fertilizer and pesticides. This poor production practice led to degradation of soil condition making it highly acidic and physically compacted which resulted to poor plant growth and frequent disease outbreaks. Also, vegetable trimmings and other hazardous wastes caused by agricultural farming contributed to the increase in wastes generation which further aggravated the environmental condition in the municipality. The project will benefit 38,000 residents of the municipality.
Through GGP, the proponent will be given funding for the construction of an aerated composting facility that will transform biodegradable waste products (i.e. vegetable trimmings) into a compost which can be used for farmland soil enrichment. This Project aims to encourage more farmers to shift into organic farming and reduce the cost of production to increase the productivity and income of farmers.
The proponent of this Project is the Municipality of Buguias, a Local Government Unit (LGU) that has supported programs for the construction of various pre and post-harvest facilities in their municipality, to help improve the socio-economic condition of marginalized farmers in Buguias.
The Government of Japan, as the top ODA donor for the Philippines, launched the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects in the Philippines in 1989 for the purpose of reducing poverty and helping various communities engaged in grassroots activities. As of present, 500 grassroots projects have been funded by GGP. Japan believes that this project will not only strengthen the friendship between the peoples of Japan and the Philippines but also contribute to further fostering a strategic partnership between Japan and the Philippines toward the future.