Used cooking oil donation urged

DAVAO City assistant city administrator lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo encouraged the public to join and support the collection of used cooking oil for the city’s viability in a project converting used cooking oil to biodiesel fuel (BDF).

Speaking on the I-Speak Forum at the City Hall yesterday, Domingo said that though the city government does not promise any monetary incentive in exchange of the used cooking oil, the primary benefit that they may get in giving out their used cooking oil is environmental protection.

Domingo said used cooking oil are just commonly disposed and flushed to the sinks and fed to animals like pigs and some traditionally mixed in food for dogs.

He added that it also clogs drainage in the city.

Domingo said that the cooking oil to biodiesel project will convert the used cooking oil as biodieselfuel for vehicles within the city and incase they could generate more, they may plan to donate or sell it.

Domingo said that they tapped residents to cooperate but they aim to reach more people to participate in the project.

“Residents of 13 barangays in the city, restaurant owner associations, and hotels already promised to cooperate,” Domingo said.

Officials of 13 barangays met with officials from the City Administra-

tor’s Office and the City Enviroment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro). Represented were barangays Hizon, 76-A, Catalunan Grande, 3A, Mintal, Centro, 19B, Sasa, Buhangin Proper, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Talomo Proper and Toril Proper.

He said that residents may contact hotline numbers 2272655, 244-0094 for inquire and collection of their used cooking oil.

“Schedule lang kay lisud biyaheon, taga Cenro ang mucollect. Naa na silay selected na giinvite pero pwede mutawag (It is by schedule because it is difficult to transport. Cenro personnel will collect it. Cenro invited some but people can make a call),” Domingo said.

Domingo said that residents can just gather their used cooking oil in any canisters or containers in groups, by sitios, or by any groups of organizations as the collection is still informal.

Domingo said that they are pushing intense used cooking oil collection campaign as the volume of the used cooking oil would be the basis of the kind and size of biodiesel equipment that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will donate to the city for free.

“Sa Cenro motorpool sa Ma-a ibutang ang mga nacollect na used cooking oil for the meantine (The collected used cooking oil will be placed at the Cenro motorpool in Maa for the meantime),” Domingo said.

He also said that residents should not also fear harmful effects of the processing and conversion of the used cooking oil to biodiesel because they had been assured that it converts fuel without causing or emitting harmful chemicals in the environment.

“It is environment-friendly and very cost effective,” Domingo said.

Domingo said that they are open to pass an ordinance on the used cooking oil but they emphasized with their Japanese friends that must be the last resort they may take as they still want the residents to just donate or give their used cooking oil voluntarily.

He said the study of the volume of used cooking oil is also now part of the feasibility study done by Jica.

A team from Jica is set to visit Davao City on November 16 to look into the findings of the initial study conducted by the city government on the feasibility of the project.

The project is in partnership with the Biomass Japan Inc. and Myclimate Japan.

Meanwhile, Domingo said the the used cooking oil will not be converted into biomass and will not be mixed with crude oil (as stated in a photo caption which appeared in Sun.Star’s Oct. 2o issue).

The used cooking oil will not be mixed with any substance and it will be converted directly to biodiesel fuel (BDF). (KVC)