Potential adverse effects of swine farms to the laguna lake environment philippines

This study aims to: 1 determine the spatial distribution of backyard and commercial swine raisers in the municipalities surrounding Laguna Lake; 2 quantify the amounts of swine waste and

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

ROSETTE PRINCESS RUBINA DELA TORRE

POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF SWINE FARMS TO THE LAGUNA

LAKE ENVIRONMENT, PHILIPPINES

BACHELOR THESIS

Study Mode : Full-time

Faculty : International Programs Office

Thai Nguyen, 2017

Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry

Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management

Student name Rosette Princess Rubina Dela Torre

Thesis Title Potential Adverse Effects of Swine Farms to the Laguna Lake

Environment, Philippines

Supervisor (s) Prof Dr Damasa M Macandog (Philippines);

Associate Prof Dr Tran Quoc Hung (Vietnam)

Abstract:

Swine industry is one of the fastest growing livestock subsectors in Laguna However, as swine population increases throughout the province, a huge amount of wastes being disposed affect to the surrounding environment Thus, having this research study conducted

This study aims to: (1) determine the spatial distribution of backyard and commercial swine raisers in the municipalities surrounding Laguna Lake; (2) quantify the amounts of swine waste and corresponding pollutants discharged by backyard and commercial swine raisers; (3) document the swine waste management practices of backyard and commercial swine farms in Laguna; (4) identify and understand the issues facing the swine industry that could have potential adverse effects on water quality of Laguna Lake; (5) suggest policy recommendations for waste management for both the commercial and backyard swine raisers To solve these questions, a survey questionnaire had been distributed to the swine raisers in the sampled municipalities

and cities in the province of Laguna The survey results were manually summarized, tabulated and analyzed mainly through Microsoft Excel

Most of the surveyed swine farms in Laguna used the solid wastes as a fertilizer, but because small commercial and medium commercial swine farms can discharge massive amount of waste, they used biogas digester, septic tank or lagoon system On the other hand, water to flush waste out of the pens and allowing this to flow to the nearest drainage canal, creek or river is most the common liquid waste disposal of the swine raisers in Laguna As a result, the current waste disposal and management practices of the respondents also contribute to the environmental degradation of Laguna Lake Laguna Lake Development (LLDA) highly recommended the installation of biogas digesters, lagoon system and the method of drying manure

Keywords: (6) waste disposal, adverse effect, waste management

Number of Pages: Fifty-nine (59) pages

Date of Submission: November 2017

Signature of the

Supervisor

This thesis would not have been completed without the valuable help of these people

Foremost, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research supervisor, Dr Damasa M Macandog, Institute of Biological Science, University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB) in the Philippines for her assistance, patience, motivation and dedicated involvement in every step throughout the process Her guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing of this study Also, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my second thesis adviser, Associate Prof Dr Tran Quoc Hung, Dean, Faculty of Forestry, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry (TUAF) in Vietnam for his support, suggestions and valuable guidance on my research study

I take this opportunity to convey my special thanks to several people during the course of my research study Dr Ronaldo Saludes, and Mr Donald Luna for their help, giving valuable advice and for providing references on my study Ms Anne Jellie Bacani and Mr Ozzy Boy Nicopior for their help, guidance, and suggestions to map out the necessary GPS coordinates on the study

I wish to express my sincere thanks to the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO)

in Santa Cruz, Laguna for sharing and giving the complete list of population of swine

in different municipalities and cities in Laguna Also, many thanks to the City Agriculture Office (CAO) of Biñan and Cabuyao, Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) of Bay, Famy, Kalayaan, Liliw, Luisiana, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Pagsanjan, Pila, Santa Cruz, Siniloan and Victoria for giving and providing the data regarding to the population of swine and the list of the swine raisers and for allowing me to conduct the survey in their municipality/city

I would not forget to remember the warm help and support of the Municipal/City Agriculturist in Laguna – Mr Antonio Aguilar of Biñan, Mrs Annie Magsino and Ms Maricris Puma of Nagcarlan, Mrs Merly Recones of Pagsanjan, Mr Helwin Del Rosario of Santa Cruz, and Mrs Marie Villeta of Majayjay, the Barangay City Agriculturist of Pila, Mrs Eva Palad and Mr Mario Talubo, and Mrs Irma

Alegros and Mr Mariano Del Rosario of Cabuyao City Slaughterhouse, their companions and recommendations helped me to save time for conducting the survey Also, I heartily thank the 77 swine raisers respondents for their willingness to support and participate in the survey, even though they are busy, they still find time to answer and cooperate in the survey

I am also grateful to my LACASA family, to my principal/administrator in high school Mr G Rodante C Estrellado, to my friends, to my close friend Rhonalyn P Agupo and to my best friend John Maverick S De Leon for their moral support, for always reminding me to be a positive person, for the sincere and valuable guidance and encouragement to finish this thesis I really appreciate your concern and help

Most importantly, none of this could have happened without my family and relatives I owe more than thanks to my parents, my father Rene R Dela Torre, my mother Rosele R Dela Torre, to my siblings, Reneelyn R Dela Torre and Julius Prince

R Dela Torre for their unconditional love and encouragement and to my grandmother Virginia Rubina for the financial support My beloved family served as an inspiration for me to stay optimistic and courageous while having my research Every time I was ready to quit, you did not let me and I am forever grateful

Above all, to the Almighty, for the guidance, strength, good health, giving knowledge, wisdom and understanding to complete this study It is solely because of the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding He blessed me with that I was able to finish this research

To God be the Glory

RPRDT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES VII LIST OF TABLES IX LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS X

PART I INTRODUCTION 1

1.1RESEARCH RATIONALE 1

1.2SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 2

1.3RESEARCH OBJECTIVES 3

1.4RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND HYPOTHESES 4

1.5SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS 5

1.5.1 Scope 5

1.5.2 Limitations 5

1.6DEFINITION OF TERMS 5

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW 6

2.1SWINEINDUSTRYINTHEPHILIPPINES 6

2.2SWINEMANUREPRODUCTIONASEXCRETED 6

2.3MANURECOMPOSITION 9

2.4SWINEWASTEMANAGEMENT 11

2.5LOCALLIVESTOCKRAISINGPRACTICES 13

2.6UTILIZATIONOFWASTE 15

PART III METHODS 18

3.1MATERIAL 18

3.1.1 Latest Record of Swine Population in Laguna 18

3.1.2 GPS Reader 18

3.1.3 Questionnaires 18

3.1.4 ArcGIS software 19

3.1.5 Microsoft Excel 20

3.2METHODOLOGY 20

3.2.1 Research Location 20

21

3.2.2 Research Design 21

3.2.3 Sampling Technique 22

3.2.4 Data Collection 23

3.2.5 Data Gathered 24

3.2.6 Data Analysis 24

PART IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 25

4.1DISTRIBUTIONOFBACKYARDANDCOMMERCIALSWINERAISERS 25 4.1.1 The Swine Raisers 25

4.1.2 Number of Heads Raised 26

4.2SWINEWASTEMANAGEMENTPRACTICESOFBACKYARDAND COMMERCIALSWINEFARMS 29

4.2.1 Solid Waste Disposal and Management 29

4.2.2 Liquid Waste Disposal and Management 32

4.2.3 Management of Cleaning Pens 35

4.3AMOUNTSOFSWINEWASTEANDCORRESPONDINGPOLLUTANTS DISCHARGEDBYBACKYARDANDCOMMERCIALSWINERAISERSTO LAGUNALAKE 36

4.3.1 Calculation for Excreted Feces 36

4.3.2 Daily Feces Production as Excreted 38

4.3.3 Daily Urine Production as Excreted 41

4.4ISSUESFACINGTHESWINEINDUSTRYTHATCOULDHAVE POTENTIALADVERSEEFFECTSONWATERQUALITYOFLAGUNALAKE 46

4.4.1 Nearby Bodies of Water in Surveyed Swine Farms 46

4.4.2 Water Quality Perception 50

4.4.3 Potential Issue 51

PART V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 54

REFERENCES 56

APPENDICES 60

Figure 1 Sampled Municipalities and Cities in Laguna ……… 21

Figure 2 Population of Surveyed Backyard Swine Farms in Laguna ……… 27

Figure 3 Population of Surveyed Small Commercial Swine Farms in Laguna …… 27

Figure 4 Population of Surveyed Medium Commercial Swine Farms in Laguna 28

Figure 5 Location of Surveyed Swine Farms in Laguna ……… 28

Figure 6 Solid Waste Management in Surveyed Backyard Swine Farms ……… 30

Figure 7 Solid Waste Management in Surveyed Small Commercial Swine Farms 30 Figure 8 Solid Waste Management in Surveyed Medium Commercial Swine Farms ……… 31

Figure 9 Liquid Waste Management in Surveyed Backyard Swine Farms ……… 33

Figure 10 Liquid Waste Management in Surveyed Small Commercial Swine Farms ……… 33

Figure 11 Liquid Waste Management in Surveyed Medium Commercial Swine Farms ……… 34

Figure 12 Frequency of Cleaning the Swine Pens ……… 35

Figure 13 Different Types of Cleaning Agents ……… 35

Figure 14 Daily Excretion of Total Solids in Surveyed Swine Farms ……… 39

Figure 15 Daily Excretion of Nitrogen in Surveyed Swine Farms …… 40

Figure 16 Daily Excretion of Phosphorus in Surveyed Swine Farms ……… 40

Figure 17 Daily Excretion of Potassium in Surveyed Swine Farms ……… 41

Figure 18 Daily Excretion of Nitrogen in Surveyed Swine Farms……… 42

Figure 19 Daily Excretion of Phosphorus in Surveyed Swine Farms ……… 43

Figure 20 Daily Excretion of Potassium in Surveyed Swine Farms 44

Figure 21 Possible Amount of Pollutants (Urine) End Up in Laguna Lake ……… 45

Figure 22 Possible Amount of Pollutants (Feces) End Up in Laguna Lake ……… 46

Figure 23 Proximity of Swine Raising Operations to the Nearby Bodies of Water 47

Figure 24 Proximity of Backyard Operations to the Nearby Bodies of Water …… 48

Figure 25 Proximity of Small Operations to the Nearby Bodies of Water ………… 48

Figure 26 Proximity of Medium Commercial Operations to the Nearby Bodies of Water ……… 49

Figure 27 Effects of Swine Farms to the Quality of Water ……… 51

Table 1 Daily Manure Production as Excreted ……… 8 Table 2 Estimated Typical Manure (urine and feces combined) Characteristics

Table 3 Municipalities and Cities in Laguna per cluster ……… 22 Table 4 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents per Type of

Table 5 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Swine Population ………… 26 Table 6 Daily Manure Production as Excreted ……… 37 Table 7 Daily Feces Production as Excreted ……… 37 Table 8 Daily Urine Production as Excreted ……… 38

Table 9 Frequency and Percentage Distribution According to the Perception of

the Swine Raisers to the Quality of Water ……… 50

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

BAS Bureau of Agricultural Statistics

CAO City Agriculture Office

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization

LLDA Laguna Lake Development Authority

MAO Municipal Agriculture Office

mg / L milligram per liter

PSA Philippine Statistical Authority

PVO Provincial Veterinary Office

Region 3 Central Luzon

Region 4A CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) TPED Tubular Polyethylene Digester

PART I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Rationale

In the previous years, livestock production is one of the fastest growing agricultural subsectors in developing countries Due to continuing rapid population growth, widening urbanization, and income growth in developing countries, the demand for livestock products are rapidly increasing (Delgado 2005) However, as livestock production increases throughout a country, livestock waste is becoming a serious environmental risk

In the Philippines, swine industry has been at the frontline of livestock production development for many years (Philippine Star 2016) It consists of backyard and commercial swine operations Moreover, it is also the second largest economic activity in the country‟s agricultural sector coming in second to rice (Barroga, undated) Further, swine industry is one of the best economic opportunities for Filipinos and can create employment, especially in rural areas Swine production increased from 1,011.31 thousand metric tons to 1,076.53 thousand metric tons live weight for the first half of 2016 and this was 6.45 percent higher than 2015 level output (PSA July 2016) However, being the largest and most organized industry among the local livestock industries, the increasing population of swine can also produce a huge amount of waste that has a direct impact to the environment (FAO 2014) It can create and worsen some environmental concerns including – accumulation of nutrients into the soil, eutrophication of water bodies, and atmospheric pollution (global warming, ammonia, odors, dust) (Jongbloed 2008)

Swine population in the Philippines is well concentrated in Region 3 and Region 4-A As of July 2016, these regions contributed 30 percent of the total swine inventory (PSA 2016) Swine wastes coming from these regions are one of the major sources of pollution of Manila Bay and Laguna Lake

Laguna, one of the provinces in Region 4-A, has high rates of population growth, urbanization and industrialization There are also intensive agricultural activities particularly livestock raising in the province (BAS 2007) that contributed to the steady decline in the environmental quality of the Laguna Lake watershed (Paraso

et al 2010) Around 80 percent of the swine farms do not have any waste treatment facilities at all Backyard swine farms in municipalities in Laguna surrounding Laguna Lake have been recognized as point sources of water pollution These farms are directly disposing wastes to nearby creeks, streams, and rivers which serve as tributaries to the lake (Catelo et al 2003)

1.2 Significance of the Study

It is important to conduct this study because of the evidently massive amount of wastes being disposed by the swine industry to the surrounding environment This study aims to evaluate and determine the potential impacts of swine waste based on the waste disposal and management practices of the swine raisers Results of this study can

be used to develop a better waste management plan for the benefit of the swine raisers and surrounding local communities, to Laguna Lake and to the environment This study will be instrumental in raising the awareness of swine raisers on proper swine

waste disposal Further, this study will increase the researcher‟s level of understanding

of the impacts of swine wastes on environmental pollution of Laguna Lake

1.3 Research Objectives

The main purpose of the study is to conduct survey of the swine raisers in the sampled municipalities and cities in Laguna using questionnaires and interviews with the following objectives:

1 to determine the spatial distribution of backyard and commercial swine raisers in the municipalities surrounding Laguna Lake

2 to document the swine waste management practices of backyard and commercial swine farms in Laguna

3 to quantify the amounts of swine waste and corresponding pollutants discharged by backyard and commercial swine raisers to Laguna Lake

4 to identify and understand the issues facing the swine industry that could have potential adverse effects on water quality of Laguna Lake

5 to suggest policy recommendations for waste management for both the commercial and backyard swine raisers

1.4 Research Questions and Hypotheses

1.4.1 Research questions

1 How do swine raisers manage swine waste?

2 What are the differences in the waste management practices of backyard and commercial swine raisers?

3 How much swine waste from backyard and commercial swine farms are discharged to Laguna Lake?

4 What are the environmental impacts of improper discharge of swine waste to Laguna Lake?

5 What are the laws and policies for waste management from backyard and commercial swine farms?

1.5 Scope and Limitations

1.5.1 Scope

The study was conducted in different municipalities and cities in Laguna from March to June 2017 The study focused on the waste disposal practices and management procedures of the swine raisers in Laguna

Respondents Not all swine raisers especially in large commercial farms allowed the researcher to gather a survey from them because of fear that it might be used against them

1.6 Definition of Terms

The definition of terms can be found in Appendix 15

PART II LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 SWINE INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES

In the past decade, livestock sector has had the robust and most consistent growth performance of all economic activities in Philippine agriculture (FAO 2006) Swine industry is one of the leading livestock enterprises in the Philippines It dominated livestock group accounted 82.1 percent of the total value of production (PSA 2015) In terms of volume and inventory of breeders, Philippine swine industry

ranked eighth in the world in 2016 (Philippine Star 2016) As of July 2016, there are

12.50 million heads total swine population in the country and this was 1.38 percent higher than 2015 inventory of 12.33 million heads Backyard farming still dominates the country‟s swine industry (Thomas 2007), as it covered sixty-four percent of the

total swine stocks while the thirty-six percent were in commercial farms (PSA 2016)

In terms of regional distribution, around 52.58 percent of the total swine inventory was concentrated in five (5) regions namely: Central Luzon (Region 3) with 18.10 percent share; CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 12.69 percent; Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Bicol Region (Region 5), and Davao Region (Region 11) with

7.43, 7.35, and 7.02 percent, respectively (PSA 2016)

2.2 SWINE MANURE PRODUCTION AS EXCRETED

At certain times, the terms “manure,” “waste,” and “residue” used synonymously (USDA, 2008) Swine waste is a complex mixture of urine, feces, and water (Makara and Kowalski, 2015) There are approximately 60 percent feces and 40

percent urine found in manure (Hamilton et al., 2015) Insoluble and some soluble nutrients can be found in feces (solids) while soluble nutrients such as ammonia can be found in urine (liquid), of as-excreted manure (Lorimor et al., 2004) The solid portion mainly contains phosphoric compounds, which mainly occur in inorganic form (74-87% of the total P content) and organic compounds (Lens et al., 2004) The liquid portion principally comprises nitrogenous compounds (including ammonia, ammonium compounds, nitrates), and organic matter (Bertora et al., 2008) Manure must be separated into solid and liquid portion before it can be treated and utilized (Fangueiro et al., 2012) After the separation of swine manure, the solid portion can be served as an agricultural biogas generator or to produce biomass incineration plants and as an organic fertilizer (Hjorth et al., 2010; Ndegwa, 2001) The separated liquid products can be treated further with ammonia stripping, evaporation, or membrane filtration; however, as of these days, no low-maintenance and/or cost-efficient applications of these post-treatments have been established (Møller et al., 2000)

Barth et al (2008) enumerated the classification of wastes according to their moisture content First, liquid manure or liquid wastes are wastes that have a moisture content of 95 percent or more exhibit qualities very much like water Second, semiliquid (slurry) or semisolid wastes are wastes that are between about 75 and 95 percent moisture content (25 and 5 percent solids) And third, solid manure or solid wastes are wastes that have moisture content of about 75 percent or less Lorimor et

al (2004) added that, solid manure can be stacked, and it can be picked up with a fork

or bucket loader

As stated by Hamilton et al (2015)., the characteristics of manure have divided into four broad categories: quantity, organic matter, plant nutrients, and salts The quantity of manure and the total amount of organic matter excreted by swine can largely determine by the amount of feed the animal receives And once a finisher swine reached maturity, the energy content of manure will slightly increase For plant nutrients, there is no change in the percent absorption of plant nutrients in manure throughout the life of a swine For all swine types, the content of phosphorus is nearly constant at 2.5 percent of total solids and the concentration of nitrogen in nursery pig manure is indeed lower than for breeding stock, even though the younger pigs get a higher protein diet They also added that there are seventy-five percent of salt excreted

in urine and twenty-five percent in feces

Hamilton et al (2015) also cited the daily manure production of swine as excreted (see Table 1) The values in Table 1 are calculated from a corn-based ration,

so the values will become different as the ration change

Table 1 Daily Manure Production as Excreted

On the other hand, Engineering Practices Subcommittee of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) Agricultural Sanitation and Waste Management Committee (2005) also developed a typical characteristics for manure

„„as-excreted‟‟ by swine based on typical diets and swine performance levels in 2002 (Table 2) However, the reported common values may become no longer in use with time due to changes in available feeds, animal genetics, feeding programs and alternative feeding technologies

Table 2 Estimated Typical Manure (urine and feces combined) characteristics as excreted by swine

lb / finished animal (f.a) lb/d-a f3/f.a %w.b Nursery

Sow

(423 lb)

2.4 0.84 0.19 0.055 0.12 25 0.04

1 90 Boar

in the settled solids so it is insoluble while as much as 80% of the potassium is in the liquid so with that it is highly soluble For the nitrogen, it is divided almost between the solids and liquid; therefore, nitrogen is about 50% soluble and 50% insoluble However, as De la Torre et al., (2000) pointed out, the improper management of nutrients in manure can contaminate the soil and bodies of water

In a relative study, Sauriol and Laduc (2009) highlighted that “ammonia emissions from animal waste to the atmosphere can cause several different problems, ranging from human reduction problems to environmental problems.” Exposure of humans and livestock to high levels of ammonia can result to adverse impacts on health and can affect to animal growth Moreover, nitrates can enter groundwater due

to their very high solubility Therefore, elevated nitrate in groundwater can contribute

to eutrophication, a process influencing to high algae, especially blue‐green algae populations and the death of aquatic life due to excessive demand for oxygen Also, too much nitrate in groundwater is a concern for drinking water use

Sauriol and Laduc (2009) also mentioned that phosphates may be effective in many ways, but they can also cause pollution problems in lakes and streams Loeffer et al., (2003), pointed out that manure has a low nitrogen‐to‐phosphorus ratio; as a result

it causes to accelerate the soil phosphorus, which may result to high phosphorus runoff However, even when soil tests P levels are not high, phosphorus absorptions in runoff water can be high As a matter of fact, research has shown that the soluble phosphorus concentration in the manure is main variable affecting P runoff

On the other hand, Masse, L et al (2007)., stated that potassium can only be

yet legislated by environmental regulations, so as result only few manure treatment systems deal with this However, potassium may become another problematic nutrient, due to accumulations in fertilized soils Certain studies have shown that it can cause a decrease in the immune system of some sensitive herbivores

2.4 SWINE WASTE MANAGEMENT

Tomas (2007) revealed that feeding, washing, cleaning, collection of feedstuff, vaccination and deworming of livestock and waste disposal are the management activities of swine raisers Normally, most of the respondents feed, wash and clean their livestock twice a day If commercial feeds are not available, they use kitchen left-over and indigenous feeds as an alternative

Pio (2003) emphasized that it is so important that the swine raisers have a good understanding of nutrient requirement during pulse cycle Nutrition and feeding are equally significant to swine raising

Traditionally, water to flush waste out of the pens and let it flow to nearby creeks is the most common practices and management of most swine farms, specifically backyard and small commercial farms Due to farrow-to-wean predominant type of production activity, smallholder farms usually created more untreated and ill-disposed wastes (Catelo and Narrod 2008) About 80 percent of the hog raisers do not have any waste treatment facilities at all (Catelo, Dorado, and Agbisit 2003) As much as 68 percent of the disposed wastewater from swine farms and even poultry farms is directly discharged to a nearby creek, canal, river, and/or open space (EPA 2001, as cited by Alcantara et.al 2008)

On the other hand, in large commercial swine farms, manure is collected from pens by scraping Wastewater is depleted into canals, which lead to a series of open lagoons According to Catelo and Narrod (2008), large commercial farms invest in appropriate structures for proper waste disposal and management of waste The most significant dominated factor to account for the differential behavior in mitigating pollution from swine manure is the size or scale of a farm also emphasized by the authors In spite of production activity and production arrangement, there is a much smaller proportion of medium to large farms that is incapable to make an effort to comprise the waste

On the contrary, Holm-Nielsen et al (2009) explained that animal manure can become a principal source of air and water pollution when improperly managed Groundwater contamination, surface water runoff, release of animal pathogens, deterioration of biological structure of the earth, catastrophic spills, attraction of rodents, insects and other pests and odor problems are some of the leading consequences for the environment when animal waste was poorly managed (Sakar et al 2009)

Additionally, as stated by the Global Methane Initiative (2009), the average volume of wastewater generated by commercial swine farms ranged from 17L per head per day to 30L per head per day A farm with poor waste management practices can produce up to 50L per head per day The standard biological oxygen demand (BOD) effluent of wastewater from swine farms ranges from 2,000 mg/L to 4,400 mg/L

2.5 LOCAL LIVESTOCK RAISING PRACTICES

As quoted in EEPSEA supported study (2001), “As livestock production increases worldwide, livestock waste is becoming a serious environmental hazard.” Such is the situation in the Philippines According to EEPSEA-supported study, Philippines is one of the countries wherein livestock waste creates continuous damage

to human‟s health and to the environment

Due to rapid growth demand and concentration of the swine industry, swine waste disposal has become a major environmental concern, particularly in regions near

to Metro Manila Waste from swine farms is typically composed of manure, urine, water, spilled feeds, and water used for cleaning, cooling, and flushing (Macandog et al., 2016)

As mentioned by Ronda (2014), swine population is highly located in Regions 3 and Region 4-A Livestock wastes coming from these regions are one of the major sources of pollution of Manila Bay and Laguna Lake Region 3 has been identified as the top contributor to Manila Bay pollution Livestock wastes together with domestic manure and fertilizer residues from Central Luzon go to Pampanga River and drain into Manila Bay

In the case of Laguna, a farm survey conducted by Catelo and her team (2001) found that 70% of households near piggeries in Majayjay, Laguna said that they were affected by odor from swine wastes They discovered the most common respiratory health effects such as such as asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia Ailments such as diarrhea, influenza and skin allergies were also reported Moreover, backyard swine farms in Majayjay, Laguna and other municipalities surrounding Laguna Lake have

been identified as point sources of water pollution These farms are directly disposing wastes to creeks which serve as tributaries to the lake

In relation with this, the Laguna Lake Developing Authority (LLDA) reported

in 2008 that livestock is the third largest source of nutrient loading in Laguna Lake The total volume of waste water discharged by livestock and poultry farms reached 2,500 m3 and the total BOD loading was 153,000 kg/year An estimated 3,600 tons

phosphate per year swine wastes produced within the province discharged raw dump into the catchment The eutrophication potential of swine production in Laguna Province has been estimated at a total of 1,193.3 tons, which can have significant cumulative impacts on local aquatic environments and the lake ecosystem as a whole (Alcantara et al., 2008) Szekielda et al (2014) also added the negative impact of eutrophication is that high primary productivity, in response to the abundant nutrient supply, sometimes results to massive fish mortality

Another case study regarding to pollution caused by swine waste is in the Benig River There has been a significant reduction in both quality and quantity of marine life Before the establishment of the swine farms, farmers were still able to use the river for irrigation but due to discharge points of swine wastes, the river is now biologically dead Catelo et al (2008) discovered that more than 80 percent of the raisers do not have any treatment facilities at all and dump their waste directly into rivers and creeks that are tributaries of the Laguna de Bay The association was also explained in their study, that this is due to the increase in household population and the establishment of swine farms in Majayjay

Another farm survey conducted by Tomas (2007) in La Trinidad, Benguet stated that most of the respondents‟ neighbors also complained regarding to the unpleasant smell of their swine waste To cover-up with this, the swine raisers practice the proper waste disposal management Based on Tomas (2007) findings, three to 5%

of the respondents in La Trinidad, Benguet discharged their swine waste through septic tank and most of them dispose through composting and through canals

Backyard swine farms are major contributors to water pollution Several local studies have already shown that majority of backyard farms do not have sufficient manure management systems Effluents from these farms are directly discharged to nearby creeks, rivers, and other water bodies However, these farms are usually exempted from Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) monitoring because their effluents are less than 30 m3/day (Macandog et al., 2016)

Livestock contribution to nitrogen loading is also increasing due to the increase

in livestock population However, the proportion declined because of the significant increase in pollution due to domestic waste (Macandog et al., 2016)

2.6 UTILIZATION OF WASTE

(a) Composting

American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (AS-EPA, 2008) stated that all solid swine waste (manure) shall be composted Swine generate more concentrated effluent than humans; these services do not exist for swine waste For this reason, all

three AS-EPA approved piggery designs include composting as a swine waste management technique (AS-EPA, 2008)

AS-EPA enumerated the importance of composting for utilizing waste (1) It will lessen the contact between pig waste and water; as a result, it will help to reduce the public health and environmental risks associated with swine waste contamination

in our water; (2) It is a dry process, which minimizes odors and lessen flies and pests that carry disease; (3) It kills pathogens that are found in swine waste; and (4) Compost can be used as a fertilizer for plants

(b) Drying of Manure

LLDA (2001) pointed out that swine raisers who will choose this option must organize a pond or lagoon as the main storage place of the waste water during cleaning operations Drying of manure comprises the removal of solid swine waste (manure), drying and applying to gardens or farms as fertilizer

(c) Biogas Production

Biogas digester is really one of the best solutions for utilizing swine waste

As cited by Cu et al (2012), biogas technology is viewed as a method not only

as a solution for environmental problems, but also for contributing to energy production and resolving social and economic issues

NEDA (2006) and Kiratikarnkul (2008) also recommended the installation of biogas digesters for waste in swine farms

(d) Lagoon System

For the swine farms with at most five (5) heads, LLDA (2001) suggested ponds

or lagoon system as a waste treatment option On the other hand, swine farms that raise less than 10 heads are not forced to implement lagoon system as well as the tubular polyethylene digester until after a period of one year from the effectiveness of the regulations

PART III METHODS

3.1 MATERIAL

3.1.1 Latest Record of Swine Population in Laguna

The latest record of swine population used as a reference to choose the municipalities and cities that had been covered by the study It was given by the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO)

3.1.2 GPS Reader

This application was used to detect and get the coordinates or the exact location

of the swine farms that had been covered by the study

3.1.3 Questionnaires

The questionnaire had been distributed to the swine raisers in the sampled municipalities and cities in the province of Laguna It was divided into five (5) sections

Section one covered the general information about the swine farm such as type

of the farm, area of the site, type of flooring, nearby bodies of water to the site, number

of nearby houses to the site, total population of the swine, age and weight of the swine, and the amount of feeds consumed per day

Next section, the swine raisers answered the questions regarding to the effects

of swine farms on the households within and nearby the site This part, mainly discussed the malodors coming from the swine farms For example, if the households within and nearby the site were affected by foul odor, how they are affected And also,

when are malodors strongest and what are the activities in the farm that caused malodors

The third section revealed the swine waste disposal and management practices

of the swine raisers The researcher asked about the disposal of solid and liquid waste

of the swine and the management for cleaning pens This part helped the researcher to determine the possible flow of the waste

Fourth part discussed the personal thoughts of the swine raisers about the quality of water that is near in the swine farms Nearby bodies of water could be affected depending on the waste disposal and management practices of the swine raisers

Lastly is the part were the swine raisers gave their personal thoughts and opinions regarding to pollution that contributed by the swine farms The swine raisers also suggested some recommendations on how to lessen the pollution coming from the swine farms

3.1.4 ArcGIS software

ArcMap 10.2 was used to map out the location of the surveyed swine farms This software also helped the researcher to determine if the sampled municipalities and cities are near to Laguna Lake or other bodies of water

Shape file of the administrative boundaries of Laguna province and the coordinates of the sampled municipalities and cities were used for mapping

while eleven (11) municipalities/cities were considered as inland2 Additionally,

fourteen (14) out of twenty-four (24) sub-basins in Laguna de Bay watershed were located in Laguna For this study, fourteen (14) out of thirty (30) municipalities/cities were covered by the survey, of which, nine (9) were classified as coastal areas and five (5) were considered inland Coastal area municipalities that were included based on the selection system described previously are Biñan, Cabuyao, Bay, Victoria, Pila, Santa Cruz, Kalayaan, Famy, and Siniloan while inland municipalities include Nagcarlan, Liliw, Majayjay, Luisiana, and Pagsanjan Figure 3 shows the sampled municipalities and cities of Laguna

Figure 1 Sampled Municipalities and Cities in Laguna3

3.2.2 Research Design

The study is a descriptive type of research It is a case study about the effects of swine waste to the environment and to Laguna Lake The information needed for the research was gatherable by using formal and non-formal interview, questionnaires, related literature reviews and study area visitation; no examination or experimentation were conducted for the study

3

color blue classified as coastal areas while color brown classified as inland areas

or cities Table 3 shows the municipalities and cities per cluster A simple random sampling technique was used to get the samples A total of 13 municipalities/cities were covered for these operations, of which three (3) municipalities/cities were randomly selected per cluster except for cluster 5 with only one (1) municipality

Table 3 Municipalities and Cities in Laguna per cluster

Sampled municipalities and cities are in bold

Cluster 1

(>2500)

Cluster 2 (1200-2500)

Cluster 3 (850-1200)

Cluster 4 (300 - 850)

Cluster 5 (<300)

Majayjay Liliw Cabuyao Los Baños Pakil

Victoria San Pedro Pila Pangil Pagsanjan

From the sampled municipalities and cities, the barangay(s) was/were then randomly chosen The researcher randomly picked the barangay(s) from the list of swine population per municipality or city provided by the Department of Agriculture-

twenty-nine (29) barangays were covered in these operations, wherein six (6) barangays got the highest swine population in their municipality/city The backyard and small commercial swine raiser respondents were chosen with the recommendations and assistance of MAO-CAO

On the other hand, the medium commercial operation conducted in the city of Biñan and municipalities of Nagcarlan and Liliw Only one (1) barangay per municipality/city was participated The identification of specific commercial farms was undertaken in coordination with, and assistance from the MAO/CAO Hence, the availability and willingness of the medium commercial swine raisers to participate in the study also considered in the sampling

A total of seventy-seven (77) swine raisers were surveyed in the study The respondents for backyard swine farms totaled 46, with an aggregate swine population

of 522 Twenty-eight (28) respondents for small commercial swine farms with a total swine population of 1519 and three (3) medium commercial swine farms respondents with 11709 were also included in the survey

3.2.4 Data Collection

The researcher gathered applicable information through primary and secondary data The primary data on swine waste disposal and management practices were obtained through the use of survey questionnaire and actual visitation to the swine farm The potential effects of the disposal facilities to the environment and to Laguna Lake employed were also obtained from interview with swine raisers The researcher has also conducted informal interviews with key informants in MAO/CAO in some

municipalities to validate and clarify some information To further complete the study, secondary data were taken from published materials like: journals, books, electronics source and unpublished materials taken from researches Pictures of swine pens, different eating preferences of swine, disposal facilities and waste disposal treatment facilities were also taken

3.2.5 Data Gathered

The data gathered include the profile of the swine and the farm, the effects of swine farms to the household of the swine raiser, the swine waste disposal and management practices of the swine raisers, the effects of swine farms to the quality of water and the suggestions and opinions of the swine raisers regarding to the possible pollution that contributed by swine farms

3.2.6 Data Analysis

In analyzing the results, the data collected were categorized and tabulated in Microsoft Excel Since the results of the survey were answered by words, the researcher manually encoded the data into numbers Descriptive statistics were used such as frequency counts, percentages and averages to provide interpretation of data

PART IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 DISTRIBUTION OF BACKYARD AND COMMERCIAL SWINE RAISERS

4.1.1 The Swine Raisers

Table 4 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents per Type of Swine

Raising Operations Types of Operation Frequency Percentage

As shown in Table 4, backyard operation was the dominant among the other types of operation, which account 46 out of 77 respondents (60 percent), followed by small commercial operation with 28 respondents (36 percent), and medium commercial operation with 3 respondents (4 percent)

The backyard and small scale raisers have different reasons and purposes for swine raising According to the respondents, they used it as an additional source of income, as a preparation for occasion like baptismal, birthday, wedding, etc., and for the production On the other hand, the medium commercial scales consider swine raising as a major source of income Medium commercial swine raisers claimed that when they raise more swine, it can generate greater income

4.1.2 Number of Heads Raised

Table 5 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Swine Population

of 1000 heads of swine and maximum of 9600 (See Figure 2, 3 and 4)

The results can indicate that the swine wastes generated by the backyard scales raisers were only minimal compared with small commercial scale operators who produced 4 times as much wastes Medium and large scale and partly small scale raisers were required to build waste disposal facilities following to the issuance of a permit to operate

Figure 5 shows the location of the overall surveyed swine farms

Figure 2 Population of Surveyed Backyard Swine Farms in Laguna

Figure 3 Population of Surveyed Small Commercial Swine Farms in Laguna

Figure 4 Population of Surveyed Medium Commercial Swine Farms in Laguna

Figure 5 Location of Surveyed Swine Farms in Laguna

As shown in Figure 5, forty-one (41) out of 77 surveyed swine farms are situated along the Laguna Lake, in which 30 swine farms are categorized as backyard

On the other hand, the 36 swine farms are located in an inland areas or apart the Laguna Lake, and dominated by the 18 surveyed small commercial swine farms (see Appendix 4)

The swine raisers that had been surveyed were according to the suggestions of the MAO/CAO The availability and willingness of the swine raisers were also considered For the location of the surveyed swine farms, the coordinates were detected using the GPS reader

4.2 SWINE WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF BACKYARD AND COMMERCIAL SWINE FARMS

4.2.1 Solid Waste Disposal and Management

Solid waste disposal and management by the different types of surveyed swine operations are presented in Figure 6, Figure 7, and Figure 8

For the surveyed backyard swine farms, fifteen (15) out of 46 respondents from this category use solid wastes as a fertilizer for the trees and plants but on the other hand there are also thirteen (13) respondents that disposed solid wastes in an unacceptable ways like dumping in an open space, creek and canal (Figure 6)