Mayor issues warning to garbage dumpers

ANGELES CITY -- Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan warned on Saturday residents living along the Sapang Balen creek here who continue to dump garbage and other waste materials into the vital waterway that has been the subject of recent clean-up drives.

“We are urging people who are living along the creek to do their part in proper waste segregation and to make sure that waste materials are not dumped into the creek,” Pamintuan said during the Saturday’s massive clean-up drive along the Barangay Santo Domingo and Pulungbulu sections of the creek.

Pamintuan was joined by students from the City College of Angeles, members of the Phi Beta Rho ConFraternity, other youth groups, and environment advocates.

The mayor said that with the creation of the city’s Solid Waste Management Board, its secretariat will be responsible in the clean-up drive and in enforcing Republic Act 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Pamintuan said he has ordered the secretariat and the city’s environment office to strictly enforce the law on anti-littering and illegal dumping and implement segregation programs here.

He added that environmental offenders will be meted with fines and possible imprisonment.

Pamintuan also led the recent clean-up drive here along with small talk groups and discussions with local residents on the importance of keeping the waterway garbage-free.

In 2011, Pamintuan even ordered the installation of steel fences along the bridges traversing the creek in Barangays Cutcut, Santa Trinidad, Pampang, San Nicolas, Santo Rosario, San Jose, Pulungbulo and Santo Domingo.

However, he said there are still business establishments and residential houses that position their sewerage systems into the creek.

“This must be stopped and we need to implement the law at its fullest. The creek has become a dumping site of pollutants and this has to be addressed immediately,” Pamintuan said.

Also in 2011, the City Governments of Angeles and San Fernando signed a commitment agreement on the clean-up of waterways and tributaries based on the Supreme Court’s order on the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program.