|
Monday, December 08, 2003
Porac folk assail stench from piggeries
By Dante M. Fabian
PORAC -- Residents of Barangay Sta. Cruz here denounced their barangay chairman's alleged inaction on their complaints against the foul odor emitted by piggery farms in the barangay.
The residents expressed hopes that concerned officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will conduct shortly inspections into the pollution caused by the piggery operations.
People living in Purok 1 of Sta. Cruz here said they are bothered by the stench coming from the large piggery that drain their wastes into the rivers.
They said certain barangay officials have been lax in regulating the piggery because some of them are allegedly receiving money regularly from the owners.
Andy Isip is urging higher officials to conduct an investigation on the possibility that because of the regular contributions accepted from the piggery owners, some of their barangay officials could not enforce regulations on piggery operations.
He said they do not want to completely stop the operations of the piggery but that all they want is for these to adopt measures to prevent or minimize the emission of excessive foul odors.
Isip said there are about five piggeries operating in Purok I and these drain their wastes into the river causing the stench of hog manure to affect the people living along the stretch of the river.
Monching Canlas of Purok 1 complained that people in their barangay are always disturbed by the stench that is usually at its worst during the hours from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Eddie Gamboa said as head of the barangay, Barangay Chairman Rafael Canlapan should listen and act on the complaints of the residents.
Interviewed for comment on the pollution problem, Canlapan said he, through the Lupon Tagapamayapa, has called hearings on the complaints but the problem could not be solved on the barangay level.
He said he issued a certification to the complaining parties to bring the issue to the courts. He said cases have already been filed by the complainants themselves.
With regard to the collection of contributions from the piggery owners, Canlapan said he has not benefited from these personally.
He said the collections are used to help in the education of the members of the barangay police, who, he said, are not receiving salaries but only a small honoraria for their service to the barangay.
(December 8, 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
|
