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The City Government of Valenzuela — led by Mayor WES Gatchalian — through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) launched its first-ever Barangay Summit 2024 at the City Hall AVR, on October 4, 2024. 

Aside from being prone to flooding and being the catch basin of the neighboring cities and municipalities, Valenzuela City experienced one of its worst flooding situations caused by the recent occurrence of the Super Typhoons Carina (enhanced by Habagat) and Enteng in 2024. Significantly, because of climate change, there are uncontrollable increases in the volume of water and waste generation from different sources that contribute to these flooding situations.

Having said that, Mayor WES Gatchalian — through CENRO — launched its first-ever Barangay Summit 2024 titled “Barangay Summit on Solid Waste Management and Waterway Improvement and Maintenance as Response to Flood Risk,” at the City Hall AVR on Friday, October 4, 2024. The barangay officials and environmental committees were gathered to mitigate and improve the city's Solid Waste Management (SWM).

In her keynote message, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Director of Valenzuela Field Office, Dir. Sudi Valencia, 0.69 kilograms per capita per day of waste generation are being collected in Valenzuela City — excluding the amount of waste generation by businesses in the city. The alarming amount of waste generation leads to the city government’s action to lessen the flooding cases in the city. Accordingly, to have a proper SWM, the action should start at the home of every citizen, especially in their kitchens.

Moreover, the following are presented to give knowledge to the barangay officials and environmental committees concerning the present projects of the city, the importance of having a proper SWM, and establishing a Material Recovery Facility (MRF): (1) Solid Waste Management Program of Valenzuela City; (2) Flood Control Program of Valenzuela City; (3) Collection and Disposal System of Used Cooking Oil; (4) Program of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Solid Waste Management; and (5) Program of Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau-National Capital Region (DENR EMB-NCR) on Solid Waste Management. The possible enhancement of the Republic Act No. 9003 otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” were also presented.

Also, present at the event were Mr. Jose Milos Nadal of RMC Oil & Ecosolutions, Mr. Mahdi Pasague of DENR EMB-NCR, Architect Edison Padilla of the Office of the Building Official, Dir. Glenn Gustillo of DENR Metropolitan Environmental Office-North, Mr. Butch Caoyong and Mr. Ryan Carillo from MMDA, Mr. Abraham Domingo as the representative of Liga ng mga Barangay, and the barangay officials and environmental committees from the 33 different barangays in the city.

Further, the barangay officials and environmental committees are encouraged to maximize their capability to improve the SWM as the leaders of their respective barangays. At last, the City Government of Valenzuela also extends its persuasion about the proper SWM that begins at the homes of the Pamilyang Valenzuelano.

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