MANILA — One man's trash is another's treasure.

Following the 2025 midterm elections, the Quezon City government is turning tons of non-biodegradable campaign materials into reusable eco-bags and tote bags.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia on Tuesday visited the Payatas Controlled Disposal Facility and was dismayed by the sheer volume of non-biodegradable campaign materials collected from previous “Oplan Baklas” operations.

He said it is the responsibility of candidates to remove their materials post-election and praised the Quezon City government for upcycling election waste.

Where to bring campaign materials now that elections are over

“Maganda yung ginagawa ng Quezon City government sapagkat nirerecyle nila… Ginagawa na maaaring pagkakitaan pa upang di makasira sa ating kalikasan," he said.

Richard Santuile, head of Quezon City’s Department of Sanitation and Clean-up Works (DSQC), explained the sorting process for the collected materials.

“May dalawang klase po tayong nahakot na campaign materials. 'Yung iba pong buo pa, nasa mga kawayan, 'yan po 'yung tinu-turn over natin sa ating iba ibang opisina at mga partner organizations para magawa ng mga programa kagaya ng mga ecobags at mga bayong,” Santuile shared.

He noted that the damaged and unusable materials, unfortunately, will still end up in landfills, adding to the existing waste problem.

Spearheading the upcycling program is Mona Yap, head of the Small Business Cooperatives Development Promotions in Quezon City.

She detailed the “Vote to Tote” initiative, which began in 2022 with the goal of diverting as much tarpaulin material as possible from landfills.

The process involved the DSQC segregating the collected tarpaulins. The usable ones are then transported to the female dormitory of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Quezon City.

There, Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) are provided with livelihood opportunities by assembling the basic structure of the tote bags.

“After po i-cut, inaassemble ang pinaka structure ng tote bag and dinadala po ito ng ating entreprenuer na nakipag partner sa atin sa kanilang mga artisan studio para mabuo ang bag… They still print over the tarp para matakpan din 'yung  faces and nilalagyan ng lining 'yung tarp para maganda naman at may inner pocket pa,” Yap said.

The resulting eco-bags are not only environmentally conscious but also practical for everyday use.

They are priced from ₱399-499, depending on size and design, with larger bags selling for ₱699. Special edition tote bags with unique designs can reach ₱800.

Proceeds from the sale of these upcycled bags directly benefit the PDLs involved in their production, providing them with income.

Garcia urged other local government units and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to join the initiative, highlighting that election waste is ultimately still waste that needs to be addressed collectively.

“Ito po ay challenge sana sa mga LGU at iba pang NGO sana makitulong na lang po di lang ang comelec, tayo pong lahat dahil ang basura na produkto ng eleksyon, basura na din yan,” he noted.

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