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Sunday, September 05, 2004
Defensor asked to close Navotas dumpsite
ANTI-DUMPSITE groups asked Saturday incoming Environment Secretary Michael Defensor to junk the renewal of the Navotas dumpsite contract between the Navotas municipal government and garbage contractor Philippine Ecology Systems Inc. or Phileco.
Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and Obando Peoples' Alliance Against Dumpsite (Oppose Dumpsite) said Defensor is politically obliged to deny the issuance of environmental certificate clearance (ECC) to Navotas municipal government and Phileco because the people of Obando had proven their issues against the controversial dumpsite were all right.
According to Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap, the one-year contract will expire next month that is why they are demanding to the DENR to order the closure of the dumpsite permanently.
Hicap said the permanent closure and immediate clean up of the mess in Navotas dumpsite is a matter of life and death to Obando fisherfolk and residents.
"The anti-dumpsite protest is unstoppable. Secretary Defensor should brace himself for our roaring rampage of protest if he insists the dumpsite," he said.
The Pamalakaya leader added that they will ask the incoming DENR chief to sit down with them on his first day in office regarding the controversial dumpsite.
For his part, Oppose Dumpsite convenor Ricardo de Armas said the destructive impact of the Navotas dumpsite to people's livelihood and environment was the principal basis why their group was calling for the outright closure of the controlled disposal facility and outright refusal to any move that would allow the local government of Navotas and Phileco to renew the dumpsite operations.
"The dumpsite is a curse. It has caused loss of livelihood to small fishermen, environmental devastation and health hazards to the coastal people of Obando and Navotas. But unscrupulous minds are obsessed to pursue the project at the expense of the people's livelihood and environment," Armas said.
The construction of Navotas Controlled Disposal Facility began in October 2002 after the DENR granted permit to the local government of Navotas and Phileco to operate the dumpsite.
About 140 trucks of garbage are being transported to the Navotas dumpsite thrice or four times a week. The bulk represents part and partial of garbage collected from 14 cities and three municipalities in Metro Manila. (Jonathan F. Fernandez)
(September 5, 2004 issue)
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