The Philippine government and the French Development Agency (AFD) have partnered to strengthen Pasay City’s household waste management and improve Pasig River’s water quality, the French Embassy in Manila announced Thursday.

The entire project worth €623,000 (PHP35.5 million) will be financed by a €425,000 (PHP24.2 million) grant provided by the AFD in support of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

The grant agreement was signed on July 21 by Marie-Pierre Bourzai, head of AFD’s Territories and Enterprises Division and Jacques Gautier, president of Syctom, the metropolitan agency for the treatment of household waste in the Paris region.

Syctom, upon the request of the MMDA, will be leading the pilot project proposing waste treatment solutions at the Tripa de Gallina pumping station.

The embassy said the initiative would complement the wastewater phytotreatment system managed by the Greater Paris Interdepartmental Syndicate for Sanitation (SIAAP) and is seen to benefit between 20,000 and 25,000 residents of various barangays in Pasay City.

The project will implement a “multi-channel platform” that includes an electromechanical composting unit for organic waste to treat around 40 to 50 percent of household waste deposit and a reinforced Material Recovery Facility, a small-scale waste disposal and transfer center for the management of recyclables.

The partnership would also involve the recovery of hazardous waste such as electrical and electronic equipment waste.

After an initial three-year phase aimed at raising awareness among local residents towards sustainable practices, improving Pasig River’s water quality, and reducing health risks, the embassy is hopeful the project could be replicated throughout Metro Manila. (PNA)