Marissa Segovia: A clean and green mover
Turnover ceremony of Composting and
Materials Recovery Facility at the Calajunan
Dumpsite
* Segovia believes that every person or organization should do its part in making the community better
Ma. Luisa "Marissa" Segovia of the famous Caltex Molo Station and Nissan Service Center in Iloilo City had been a staunch protector of the environment.
Before she became the Chairperson of the Clean and Green Program of the City Government under the term of Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, Segovia had been implementing waste segregation in her companies.
"We were already segregating at source at the Caltex Molo Station and Nissan since three years ago," she said. "This was done even before the barangay captains were trained on mandatory segregation and the establishment of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). In our village, we did not have an MRF so it was a challenge for me to put one," she added.
Turnover of sewing machines that were
donated by businessmen, establishments and
friends to Calajunan
From the wastes segregated from the two companies, the employees' bankbook entry grew at about P22,000 after a year. The money is being used for the needs of the employees.
After leaving the Clean and Green project, Segovia became the Co-Chair and Private Sector alternate of Mayor Treñas in the Iloilo City Solid Waste Management Board as well as the Chairperson of its Technical Working Group.
Being part of the Iloilo Business Club, it was natural for the mayor to tap its members and one of them is Segovia.
The Board was re-composed through Executive Order 34 Series of 2007, amending EO No. 65, Series of 2004. The Board was created to answer the problem of deteriorating urban environment caused in part by increasing solid wastes in the city. The Board is composed of individuals from the government and private sector.
Social Devt Component - Recycling Program
Segovia admits that her task is very tedious and long in the maturing process. "I have a type A personality but because I've been here since its initial stages, I've learned to push and persevere a bit; to try to make ends meet. For the most part, one needs common sense here," Segovia said.
Segovia regularly goes to the Calajunan Dumpsite. "It's chaotic there. We inspect the state of the area, see what their concerns are and facilitate solutions," she said.
She also facilitates the social development needs of the area. The City Government was able to secure a P90-million loan for the development and rehabilitation of the Calajunan Dumpsite and P1-million is for the social development component. "We wrote letters requesting for sewing machines and we got nine. These sewing machines are used to make recycled bags from tetra packs, and many more," Segovia said. "Meanwhile, the equipment worth P55-million from the P90-million has just arrived. The loan was granted by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and entered by the local government unit."
A garbage-free environment? It would take time, Segovia admits. "If you try to introduce something new, even at home, it would take time for people to adapt to it. It's normal."
But with people like Segovia, a garbage-free environment will be realized.
Apart from her passion on the environment, Segovia spearheaded the establishment of the Livelihood Incentive Fund and Education (LIFE) for the Deaf-Mute Multipurpose Cooperative, an endeavor of the Quota International of Iloilo, where she had been a part of for 20 years.
Segovia believes that every person or organization should do its part in making the community better. "I hope to propel more institutions to own up to their responsibility and to make them more responsive to the needs of the community," she said.