I have been away from home for a couple of months so it was just a couple of weeks ago that I found out that my beloved city of Marikina has started collecting used cooking oil separately from all the garbage. I'm not sure just how often they do this though and I started wondering what they do with it. Possibly, they are just collecting it to be disposed off properly. Before, many households have a habit of throwing away used oil through canals. As we all know, pouring it down the drain might make the plumbing clogged when the oil solidifies so people tend to throw it outside of their homes directly into the sewage system. But this practice does come with its negative effects. Eventually, sewage water goes to our rivers and streams causing them to be polluted.

I wonder if the Waste Management Office recycles those rancid cooking oils. If they recycle those and turned them into biodiesel, they could use it to fuel the vehicles that the city government owns. Marikina has been known to invest in recycling machineries and has saved the city government a lot of money in the long run. A few months back the city government purchased a composting machine that turns the garbage collected from the market into compost.

If they could afford to buy one, they could certainly afford to invest in research and training of people who could run a biodiesel production plant. In the United States, there are home-brew operations that recycle used cooking oils into biofuel. Since this is a fairly new practice, there are no environmental standards and safety precautions that could standardize the process. There are a lot of fast foods and restaurants in Marikina and I'm sure they would be more than willing to get rid of their used cooking oils so that it could be made into biofuels, and in turn take part in the development of the city. This could certainly benefit everyone in the long run.

The scientific community has sent alarms over the years about the possibility of depleting oil reserves in the near future. It's about time that we look into alternative sources of fuel.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and other media groups will celebrate World Press Freedom Day on May 3 by offering flowers at the National Shrine of Marcelo H. del Pilar in the morning and hosting a jamming session by members of media in the evening.

NUJP decided to honor Del Pilar, editor of the revolutionary paper La Solidaridad, to emphasize the need for journalists not to forget the past, particularly periods of history during which media played a very important role to defend freedom and democracy.

Among the news organizations that will offer "Press Freedom wreaths" are NUJP, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Press Institute, ABC 5 and Philippine Daily Inquirer.
NUJP plans to make the wreath-laying at the Del Pilar shrine, located in Bulacan, Bulacan, a yearly activity. The program will start at 8 a.m.

Meanwhile, the jamming session, dubbed "Pa-imPRESS ka JAM", will be held at the Freedom Bar in Anonas St. cor. Aurora Blvd. in Quezon and will start at 8 p.m. Among the performers will be: veteran journalist Pete Lacaba, Inday Espina (Philippine Graphic), Cesar Apolinario (GMA7), Alwyn Alburo (GMA7), Ruth Cabal (GMA7), Raffy Tima (GMA7), Cecil Lardizabal (ABS-CBN), Jiggy Manicad (GMA7), Edwin Bacasmas (Inquirer), Mark Salazar (GMA7), Cherry Mercado (ABC5), Jason Torres (ABC5), Daniel Razon (UNTV), AR Sabangan (GMA News.tv) and Alex Remollino (Bulatlat.com).

To read poems on press freedom are Inquirer publisher Isagani Yambot, Ramil Gulle of ABS-CBN, Iris Gonzales of Philippine Star, Marlon Ramos of Inquirer and Richard Gappi of Manila East Watch/Neo-Angono.
References:
Rowena Paraan (09104950095)
Joe Torres Jr. (09209010013)