Switzerland’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Nicolas Bruhl, visited UP Mindanao on July 17, 2025, to grace the LimaDOL recycling company’s SWARM (Sustainable Waste and Resource Management) project launch at Lorenzo Hall.
The event marked a significant step toward advancing sustainable waste solutions in the region. Ambassador Brühl, who was welcomed by UP Mindanao’s School of Management (SOM) Associate Professor Ligaya Leal and LimaDOL President Atty. Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, expressed the Swiss government’s full support for the project.
In a message delivered during the launch, Davao City Councilor Tek Ocampo read Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s statement of support for the initiative.
LimaDOL Chief Executive Officer Peter Damary, a Swiss national and Davao City resident, introduced the company’s mission and operations. International experts from Europe and Indonesia explained the insect-based biowaste recycling process. LimaDOL Director Ms. Maya Flaminda Vandenbroeck served as the forum’s master of ceremonies.
“LimaDOL composts organic food waste using the harmless Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae to produce a natural fertilizer, animal feeds, and other products,” stated the company profile. LimaDOL’s business “adds value to food waste, contributes to community clean-ups, curbs methane emissions, and mitigates climate change.”
SOM maintains an active partnership with LimaDOL. “Our SOM classes have visited LimaDOL to observe their operations,” said Prof. Leal. “The farmers’ acceptance of their product was the subject of my undergraduate thesis,” added Charise Anne Canceran, a BS Agribusiness Economics graduate.
The launch was also an avenue for meaningful networking among stakeholders. In attendance were Assistant Professor Rodgessa Lopez, UPMin Extension and Community Services Director and Architecture Assistant Professor Minerva Rosel, City Agriculturist Antonio Obsioma, Barangay Mintal Chairperson Rey Amador Bargamento, Barangay Tacunan’s Catalino Genayas, and City Councilor Ocampo. Mapúa MCM, Ateneo de Davao, and UPMin represented the academe.
The SWARM project stands as a promising model of innovation, collaboration, and sustainability, with support from both local and international partners.
