MANILA, Philippines – The local government of Biñan City in Laguna is turning Taal Volcano’s ashfall into bricks that can be used to build houses and other structures.
Since the Taal ashfall on Sunday, January 12, the city’s Eco-Center material recovery facility has been making these bricks from the sacks of ash they collected from around the city.
The ashfall is mixed with recycled plastics, cement, water and whitesand. The mixture is then transferred into brick molds.
“Tawag namin dito Taal bricks eh. Naano namin saan namin dadalahin ang mga abo na yun. Nung hinawakan namin mapino, mas mapino pa sa white sand,” Rodelio Dee, head of City Environment and Natural Resources Office, said.
“Normally, iisipin mo diyan panambak di ba? Pero dapat may mas idea pa dito. So, ginamit namin siya sa paggawa ng bricks,” he added.
Dee said each brick is estimated to cost around four pesos to five pesos.
“Nagkaroon kami ng malaking savings sa paggamit ng ashfall. Unang-una, instead of buying itong white sand na ginagamit namin sa normal operation namin, itong ashfall libre. Sa aming computation is 45 to 50 percent of the cost ang aming nasi-save,” he said.
According to Dee, the city’s material recovery facility is capable of producing around 5,000 to 7,000 bricks a day.
The facility is also open to accepting sacks of ashfall from other towns to be turned into useful bricks.
Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila said the ashfall bricks they made will be donated to help in the recovery and rehabilitation of Batangas towns heavily affected by the Taal Volcano eruption
“Ang plano, mag-stock pile kami ng marami, iipunin namin sa isang lugar. Kapag nakarecover na, on its way to recovery ang mga nasalanta ng Taal, ibabalik natin sa kanila,” he said.
“Ido-donate natin sa kanila, halimbawa, papagawa ng eskwelahan. Sige, amin na ho ang hollowblocks, papagawa ng pathways… bilang tulong,” he added. – RRD (from the report of Correspondent Sherwin Culubong)
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