Total Recyclables Collected: 308,286 kilos
Waste Stewards to Community Leaders: Eco Warriors Celebrate Christmas in Sicsican
The basketball court of Purok Firetree in Barangay Sicsican was transformed into a center for community celebration as the Eco Warriors of Project Zacchaeus (PZC) held their annual Christmas assembly. The event marked a significant shift in the social integration of the city’s informal waste collectors, who were joined by their families and local government leaders to celebrate a year of professionalization and growth. Departing from traditional workforce gatherings, the celebration prioritized family involvement, with children and spouses of the Eco Warriors participating in the festivities. This inclusion aligns with the program’s goal of extending the benefits of the circular economy beyond the individual worker to the entire household unit.
by Mitchell GImena
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The basketball court of Purok Firetree in Barangay Sicsican was transformed into a center for community celebration as the Eco Warriors of Project Zacchaeus (PZC) held their annual Christmas assembly. The event marked a significant shift in the social integration of the city’s informal waste collectors, who were joined by their families and local government leaders to celebrate a year of professionalization and growth.
Departing from traditional workforce gatherings, the celebration prioritized family involvement, with children and spouses of the Eco Warriors participating in the festivities. This inclusion aligns with the program’s goal of extending the benefits of the circular economy beyond the individual worker to the entire household unit.
Leadership and Institutional Support
The event was attended by key local officials, including Barangay Captain Bobby Parangue and Kagawad Rhoy Dalumpines, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment. Their presence underscored the formalized partnership between the barangay and the Eco Warriors, following the recent legislative recognition of the group as official environmental partners of Sicsican.
"Seeing the Eco Warriors gather here with their families as recognized members of our community shows how far this program has come," Kagawad Dalumpines noted during the gathering. "They are no longer working on the fringes; they are at the heart of our barangay’s environmental strategy."
Games, Prizes, and Community Building
The program featured a series of coordinated games and team-building activities designed to foster camaraderie among the various collection units. Winners received practical prizes, and special holiday gifts were distributed to all Eco Warrior families, ensuring that the successes of the plastic recovery program were shared as tangible benefits for the workers' homes.
The leadership of Eco-Kolek joined the festivities, facilitating the distribution of gifts and engaging with the families to hear firsthand the impact of the program on their daily lives.
Social Inclusion in Action
Beyond the holiday festivities, the gathering served as a demonstration of social inclusion in practice. By hosting the event in a public community space like the Purok Firetree basketball court, the program highlighted the transition of waste workers into respected civic participants.
The successful assembly reinforces PZC’s commitment to a human-centered approach to environmental sustainability, where the dignity of the worker is valued as highly as the efficiency of the waste collection system.
