Friday, July 18, 2008 Public told to help solve waste woes By Rimaliza Opiña
ENTRUSTING the responsibility of hauling and sorting our garbage is not just the responsibility of the City Government, but more so of the public who all produces waste.
Without a possible site identified as alternative dumping area, city officials asked the public to do their share in helping officials solve the garbage problem by minimizing the amount of household waste they produce and strictly adhering to the segregation scheme of the City Government.
While negotiations are underway for a private hauler to transport and dump the city's garbage all the way to Clark, Pampanga, this remains a temporary solution, said City Solid Waste Management Board member Leticia Clemente.
Clemente, who is also the city budget officer, said there is an available budget from the city's calamity fund to cover the projected P5 million a month to haul and dump the garbage in a Clark facility but not all of the P45 million allotted could be used.
City officials led by Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. are eyeing Clark as temporary dumping area for about a month.
Asked of the possibility the city might continue dumping in Clark, Clemente said additional budget may be derived from surplus accounts. She, however, warned that this still remains to be temporary because the city's entire budget can be allocated for garbage collection.
She said only about P14 million is collected from garbage fees annually on business establishments. Households, which produce the majority of wastes, do not pay a single centavo.
Last Monday, residents and officials of Barangay Tadiangan in Tuba and in Irisan barricaded the entrance to the dumpsite in an effort to stop the dumping of garbage there. They succeeded.
Since Monday, barangay leaders in the city advised every household not to bring out their garbage for the meantime, until city officials are able to settle the problem.
Plastic bags containing trash however can be seen in some barangays as well as in the business district.
The Irisan limekiln was identified as temporary dumping area, yet some residents who barricaded at the Irisan dumpsite divided their group and again barricaded the proposed site.
Bautista earlier said garbage should be dumped at the City Camp lagoon, but the plan reportedly will not push through as residents and barangay officials objected to it.
"Besides, it is highly hazardous," Baguio Representative Mauricio Domogan said, adding that the lagoon is a highly-populated area.
Instead, Domogan suggested that city officials should visit an area in Sto. Tomas Apugan, previously identified by the World Bank and a French firm as probable dumping site. The area reportedly can be used on a long-term basis.
If the area proves to be still useful, Domogan said city officials could negotiate with the people who barricaded the Irisan dumpsite, open it for temporary use, while the city will prepare a new area where garbage may be dumped.
