|
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Sienes: Letter from the Cenro
By Cris G. Sienes
'...based on the ocular inspection we have conducted at Country Homes, including Cabantian areas on September 25, 2003 to assess the extent of garbage collection in the area, we observed that the homeowners and residents there do not observe the collection schedule. They dispose of their garbage anytime they want to.'
LAST September 23, I featured the garbage problem at the concreted portion of the barangay road to Ciudad de Esperanza. The area is part of Barangay Cabantian and is just within spitting distance from Country Homes Subdivision.
Seeing that the problem was indeed serious, this paper endorsed my column on the garbage problem to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao.
Thus, the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao wrote the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and our barangay captain to take immediate action on the problem and inform me and that office of the action taken.
The following was the response of the City Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Elisa P. Madarazo, which I received only lately:
Sir:
This has reference with the letter of the Office of the Ombudsman dated September 30, 2003 requesting the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) that immediate remedial action be taken to address the concern you wrote on your featured article dated September 23, 2003 on Sun.Star Davao.
This office had never neglected its responsibilities in terms of garbage collection. We are operating 24 hours a day, working 365 or 366 days, including holidays like Good Friday, Christmas and New Year, unlike other agencies in the government. In terms of garbage collection and disposal, we have instituted a schedule of collection particularly in Cabantian (Please see attached schedule). With the implementation of RA 9003 otherwise known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the barangay officials are mandated to enforce in their respective area (s) of jurisdiction, mandatory segregation of waste in the household and take care of collection and disposal of their waste (Rule V of RA 7160, Article 88 Paragraph 9).
In your article, you have specifically identified Country Homes, Cabantian.
Buhangin District as a problem area. Based on our schedule of collection a 10-wheeler garbage truck with acapacity of 12-14 cubic meter collections garbage three times a week. In Cabantian area alone, we have 14 collection points or areas. The office has scheduled interval collection within the area. However, based on the ocular inspection we have conducted at Country Homes including Cabantian areas on September 25, 2003 to assess the extent of garbage collection in the area, we observed that the homeowners and residents there do not observe the collection schedule. They dispose of their garbage anytime they want to. The homeowners association should also exert effort to inform the households the time and day they should bring to designated areas of collection their garbage ( please see attached photo and documentation.)
Garbage collection and disposal is not only a responsibility of the Cenro office. We need the support and cooperation of everybody so that we can achieve an orderly collection and disposal. It is impossible four our office to serve only your subdivision everytime your household will dispose of their garbage in their own time and day because the city do not have that resources and there are a lot of areas that must be covered by our collection.
Collection is frequently done as it is of utmost priority, but even though how we do or perform, unless the residents will cooperate by segregating their waste as mandated, perennial as it is the system won't improve. The barangay solid waste management committee must also do their share. They have to take care of their waste as mandated in RA 7160 and RA 9003. We never forget or neglect our duties, we always do our part but how about the people have they don their share? If ever there are instances that this office failed, call our Basura Hotline 227-2655 it is a 24 hours service we provide to the public, as far as garbage collection is concerned. Let us work and help one another for a clean and beautiful Davao. Just call us and we will be of service.
An apology if this office failed your expectation, but nevertheless we have tried our best and people must also do their share and ask themselves, have they done their share and how could they be of help in this concern.
Respectfully,
(Sgd) Elisa P. Madrazo
For lack of space, we will reserve our rejoinder for next issue.
(December 11, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
