Bayanihan: Basurahan
With some of my most talented techie friends, I am now on a mission to create a simple solution to a big problem: that the Philippines is one of the least disciplined countries in garbage disposal.
Studies upon studies show that this problem even leads to hazards such as flooding, which poses a great danger to the lives of millions of poor Filipinos.
Now, why does it seem that we don’t talk about it as much as we should?
The Problem
Notice that no matter how much mess we have in the “real world” we don’t often talk about it online. We see politics, happy photos, and achievements, but rarely do we see messy locations shared on our social media streams.
This is because our smartphones and computer screens have become our primary “window” to the world, and it is addicting because we have control over what our screens show us.
We like kitties, we don’t like trash.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Our Solution
But what if we have a system that could capture the country’s state when it comes to garbage disposal and bring this to people’s attention? Would it spark conversations? Could it aid in creating policies that might bring people to action and even prevent floods?
I think so.
This is why in the past week, I have asked some of my techie friends to join me as I start a new quest.
The Quest
We are going to create a mobile application that:
- Allows users to snap photos of different garbage dumps (legit or not), rate the location, and upload it
- Has a system for users to validate other users uploads
- Provides some visualizations such as a map of points and a heatmap similar to the following:
Photo from a screenshot of: https://yosmhm.neis-one.org
The Hope
With this mission I hope to:
- Bring the problem back in front of people’s faces. :)
- Spark conversations and actions.
- Aid NGOs and LGUs in policy-making.