The University of Batangas (UB) and the Municipality of Padre Garcia formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on September 25, 2025, at the Padre Garcia Municipal Hall, to advance solid waste management–the first collaboration of its kind in CALABARZON.
Despite Typhoon “Opong” affecting Batangas, UB President Lily Marlene J. Hernandez-Bohn, Research and Publications Office Director Romell A. Ramos, External Affairs Liaison Dr. Lionel E. Buenaflor, and Civil Engineering faculty Engr. SiddArtha Valle attended the ceremony to affirm UB’s commitment to developing innovative solutions for solid waste management.
In her message, President Hernandez-Bohn emphasized the university’s three core values, highlighting service to fellowmen as a noble purpose UB extends to the Padre Garcia community.
“I’m proud to say–our research center is top-notch,” she affirmed, emphasizing UB’s strong capabilities in science and engineering research.
Representing the Padre Garcia Local Government Unit (LGU) were Hon. Mayor Celsa Braga-Rivera, Municipal Administrator Christopher Comia, and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Head Engr. Rouel Kasilag, along with other department heads. They expressed their commitment to partner with UB on initiatives to strengthen community sustainability.
Under the MOA, UB will serve as the third-party technology provider for the Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) in Barangay Payapa, which converts waste materials into usable resources instead of sending them to landfills. Planned initiatives include the design and testing of solid waste management technologies, the development of emissions monitoring systems, and studies on waste-to-energy conversion and municipal waste collection strategies.
With their shared vision of building innovative, practical, and sustainable solutions to address the growing challenges of solid waste management, UB and Padre Garcia LGU reaffirmed that this pioneering partnership in CALABARZON will set an example for other LGUs in the region to collaborate with research-driven institutions such as UB.