EcoWaste Coalition Goes to Malabon City for Brigada Eskwela 2023

The EcoWaste Coalition has teamed up with a community-based group of e-waste dismantlers to extend its solidarity and support to the Brigada Eskwela in a public high school in Malabon City.

Together with the Nagkakaisang Lakas ng mga Mangangalakal sa Longos (NLML), the EcoWaste Coalition took part in the clean-up and renovation activities at the Imelda Integrated Secondary School (IISS), which used to be a COVID-19 isolation facility.  The school is located at the densely populated and bustling Barangay Longos headed by Chairwoman Angelika de la Cruz.

IISS principal Helen Lopez and teacher Ramil Abiner welcomed the enthusiastic Brigada Eskwela participants and supporters, including the combined contingent from the EcoWaste Coalition led by national coordinator Aileen Lucero and NLML led by president Joanna Amican.

“We are deeply honored to partner with our local member group, the NLML, and the IISS community for this year’s Brigada Eskwela,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition.  “We hope that our modest contributions to this multi-stakeholders movement led by the Department of Education (DepEd) will contribute to the ongoing efforts to make our schools a healthy and safe center for learning and education.”  

“Natutuwa po kami na makatuwang ang EcoWaste Coalition sa pagsasaayos at pagpapaganda ng paaralan ng aming mga anak. Mahalaga po na sama-sama nating maitaguyod ang isang maaliwalas at ligtas na paaralan para sa kalusugan ng lahat, laluna ng bawat mag-aaral,” said Joanna Amican of NLML.

For her part IISS principal Helen Lopez said: "The Brigada Eskwela is a unique occasion to show how we care about our schools, and we are grateful that groups like the NLML and the EcoWaste Coalition are part of this amazing Bayanihan promoting clean, safe, inclusive and child-friendly environment for our young learners from all walks of life."

The NLML-EcoWaste team repaired and repainted wooden armchairs with lead-safe paints from Roosevelt Chemicals, Inc., manufacturer of Triton and Rosco paints, who provided paints for the school corridors and other common areas.

The EcoWaste Coalition also received lead-safe paints from Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc., which the group will share with its other Brigada Eskwela partners.

The use of paints without added lead is in line with DepEd Order No. 4, series of 2017, which requires the use of lead-safe coatings or paints in all pre-school, elementary and secondary schools in the country.

“Use of lead-safe paints shall reduce children’s exposure to toxic lead via lead- containing paint and dust, thus, avoiding health impacts including learning disabilities, anemia and disorders in coordination, visual, spatial, and language skills,” the DepEd Order said.

The use of lead-safe paints, the EcoWaste Coalition added, is also in response to the advisory issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last April 2023 reminding local officials from Provincial Governors to Punong Barangays, among other things, to ensure compliance to the said DepEd Order.

“We thank and congratulate all the Brigada Eskwela prime movers, especially our principals, faculty coordinators, teachers, non-teaching personnel, parents and students, and recognize their painstaking efforts to make our classrooms and schools conducive for good learning and education,” the EcoWaste Coalition concluded.