AMORE preserves Ligawasan Marsh on Earth Day
17 April 2007

An estimated 6,000 households living around the Ligwasan Marsh took urgent moves on Earth Day to protect the largest marshlands in the Philippines. Led by the Mindanao Alliance for Off-grid Renewable Energy (AMORE), a battery disposal awareness campaign was launched to educate homeowners living around the area on the proper disposal of used batteries in order to prevent possible leakage of toxic elements into the  biologically-diverse Liguasan Marsh.

The Ligwasan Marsh is an extensive 288,000-hectare swamp region in Central Mindanao which spreads over the provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat. The total area covers twenty municipalities: 11 in Maguindanao, 8 in North Cotabato, one in Sultan Kudarat.  

Ligwasan Marsh is considered one of the important wetlands in the country. It is a perfect showpiece of biodiversity as it is home to about 30 fish species and over 20 species of waterfowl. It is said to be one of the last stronghold for the endangered Philippine Crocodile.

AMORE is serving ten barangays inhabiting the shores of the marshlands. According to AMORE Chief Tetchi Capellan, “the awareness campaign focuses on the disposal of the most vulnerable and dangerous component  of the solar home systems. With proper handling of used batteries, AMORE can mitigate possible lead-acid leaks into the Ligwasan Marsh.”

Started in 2002, AMORE is a partnership of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Energy, Mirant Philippines Foundation, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Winrock International. It provides electricity to far-flung villages in Mindanao using solar or micro-hydro power.

While AMORE helps improve the people’s quality of life through village electrification, we also ensure that the benefits of clean energy, especially in the areas surrounding the Ligwasan Marsh, are not reversed by the irresponsible disposal of batteries,” Capellan added. “As part of the social engineering program of AMORE, a start up and collection of monthly household electrification dues are put in place to fund the systematic disposal of the used batteries.”

During the Earth Day celebration, Amore conducted house-to-house activities to 300 homes to distribute battery-disposal stickers reminding beneficiaries of the harmful effects of junk batteries to the environment. A ‘junk battery depot’ was also inaugurated so users may stock up their old batteries in a secured area. The junk will then be collected by the Philippine Recyclers Incorporated for recycling.