VILLAR WANTS LIVELIHOOD PROJECTS FROM WASTES TO GO NATIONWIDE

Boodle Fight - Misis Hanepbuhay Cynthia joins 1st Dist

 of Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez and other local officials of 

San Pedro, Laguna in a boodle fight during her recent visit

 in the province.

Boodle Fight - Game na game nakisalo si Misis Hanepbuhay 

Cynthia Villar sa isang boodle fight kasama si Cong. Dan Fernandez 

(1st District ng Laguna) at iba pang mga lokal na opisyal 

ng San Pedro, Laguna. 

FORMER Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar believes she can do more and push for her advocacies particularly her “livelihood projects out of wastes” on a national scope if she wins as senator in the coming May elections.
 “I believe that in a national position, I can do more. I can be more influential in convincing people as senator rather than as a private individual,” said Villar whose livelihood projects from wastes have gained international recognition when she got a UN award for “Best Water Management Practice in the World” beating 38 countries.
 Since her projects from wastes have been very successful in Las Pinas and are being duplicated in other areas, Villar stressed that she wants to expand their reach and provide job opportunities especially to women. She stressed that a job can solve many problems. “If you have a job, you can buy food, medicines, send children to school and provide a house for your family,” Villar explained.
 She said women should always help their husbands in providing for their children. “I am not convinced that women should just stay at home and take care of the house and their children.
 They should help their husband earn a living to have a good life,” said Villar. Through livelihood projects which she has been propagating around, Villar said women can earn extra income without having to leave their homes and children behind.
 She belied allegations that “Misis Hanep Buhay” tagline was adopted to further her political bid.
She said it’s her work, and it represents what she did and what she’s doing. The three-time congresswoman said the moment she sees a livelihood project, she knows whether it will be feasible or not.
She said her livelihood projects from wastes started with the river rehabilitation. “When we began dredging the river, we saw all the dredged wastes.
For the program to succeed, the wastes should be stopped from going to the river. So we looked for a technology to process the waste. We first have the water lilies made into products like bags and baskets, among others,” she said.
 She also said the many coconut husks in their markets have been turned into coconets so they will not be thrown into the rivers.
 Coconets are used as alternative to cement for rip rapping. “We likewise embark on making useful things out of kitchen and garden wastes. When I was a congresswoman, we built 60 composters in different barangays, and we processed kitchen wastes and produced organic fertilizer given to farmers in the provinces,” she said.
 Villar said they also started blanket weaving in Las Pinas City. She buys the yarn being weaved by their women. These are being distributed to victims of calamities. Instead of buying them from Divisoria, Villar said they just get them from Las Piñas women.
She likewise extolled of their parol making, wherein materials also come from bamboo pole being planted along the river banks. At present, she said they are developing citronella massage oil and making charcoal. “We’re planting citronella plants along riverbanks so informal settlers will not occupy them.,” she said.