Monday, October 08, 2007 No compromise on ‘no segregation, no collection’ policy: official By Rimaliza Opiña
SCATTERED trash and overflowing garbage cans remain to be a common sight in most of the barangays of Baguio, five days after the City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo) re-implemented the “no segregation, no collection” policy.
And this would be a continuing scenario if every resident do not abide by the policy, warned Cepmo officer-in-charge Cordelia Lacsamana.
Although the Cepmo expects that it would encounter this problem once the “no segregation, no collection” is fully implemented, Lacsamana said the policy has to be put into action to instill discipline.
Unsegregated garbage was not collected even at the public market, which is identified by the Cepmo as one of the city's largest waste producers.
Lacsamana stressed the market should not be treated as a special case because it is the responsibility of the stallholders to also segregate like those done in households.
"I do not see any difference between stallholders and households. It is their responsibility," Lacsamana stressed.
On the first day of implementation last October 1, sectors claimed the move was too drastic since the public was not yet prepared on the particulars in the waste segregation policy.
Lacsamana said segregation at source is part of the city's comprehensive solid waste management plan.
All of the 129 barangays have been informed of the plan and were ordered to disseminate the information to every household.
Lacsamana said it now up to the barangays to monitor compliance but stressed the Cepmo would aggressively pursue the plan in fulfillment of the mandates of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
