Thursday, October 23, 2008 Barangay residents firm on dumpsite closure By Merlinda A. Pedrosa and George M. de la Cruz
BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and some members of the City Council failed to convince officials and residents of Felisa to allow the City Government to continue dumping garbage in the barangay.
Barangay councilor Ma. Fe Tresfuentes said they appreciate the presence and effort of city officials to visit the barangay and hear the sentiments of the residents.
She pointed out though that this was too late because residents and officials have already decided they would no longer allow the throwing of garbage in their area.
The barangay council, led by chairman Perigrino Aspan, unanimously passed a resolution asking the city to "terminate (the) dumping" of garbage there.
The residents said the City Government violated the law by operating an open dumpsite instead of a controlled one.
The operation of the controlled dumpsite should have ended last January and, in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the city should have been operating a sanitary landfill by now.
The residents said they have enough of the foul odor and health risk that the continued operation of the dumpsite brings about. "We have helped the city for more than three years. The city did not comply with its promise, it violated the law, and the project tremendously affected the health of our people and caused negative impact to our natural environment."
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Director Bienvenido Lipayon said a cease and desist order (CDO) was issued to the city for its open dumpsite operation in Purok Acacia, Felisa last November 7, 2005.
But residents and officials said that despite the CDO, the city continued operating its open dumpsite even if it was also granted a notice to proceed to operate a controlled dumpsite issued on December 29, 2004.
Tresfuentes admitted it is not easy to immediately close the dumpsite. "We understand it because under the authority to close and the closure rehabilitation plan, the city was given at least one year to do that, but we had a petition and protest with the DENR."
"Is it okay that while you are doing your closure and rehabilitation plan, you're still dumping your garbage? How can you rehabilitate the existing dumpsite, if you continuing dumping in it?" she stressed.
Leonardia, meanwhile, said the city needs to comply with RA 9003, which calls for the operation of a controlled dumpsite and then a sanitary landfill. In Wednesday's dialogue, he also asked for support from barangay residents.
The mayor assured residents that dumpsite experts will be made available to ensure that it is properly operated based on the required standards.
Leonardia also believes that the dumpsite controversy is politically motivated and the sentiment of residents further aggravated by his critics, adding that he was told that there was also a signature campaign against the proposed sanitary landfill.
Residents also scored the City Government for acquiring a new disposal facility adjacent to the present dumpsite allegedly sans consultation and contrary to a resolution passed by the Clean and Green Technical Working Group headed by Councilor Greg Gasataya, chair of the City Council committee on environment.
They also cited an earlier study supposedly by the Australian group for the Ecological Solid Waste Management, which identified Barangay Cabug as a good site for the city's sanitary landfill.
