Sunday, March 23, 2008 DENR trains officials on waste management
ANGELES CITY -- In a bid to train residents and barangay officials in Central Luzon on waste segregation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) held a three-day seminar on "Ecological Waste Management" at the Century Hotel in Balibago here recently.
Belly Cabeso, regional task force leader for the seminar, said the program aims to empower local and barangay officials in formulating more solutions in dealing wastes since the law clearly states that "all open dumpsites should be closed."
"Such program would effectively lessen potential problems when dumpsites were all closed by the start of 2008," Cabeso said.
Dubbed as "Seminar-Workshop on Implementation of RA 9003 at the Barangay Level," participants have discussed various preparations like barangay solid waste management plans, effective mechanism in the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9003, practices in hazardous waste management and ecological waste management in the Philippines.
"The original number of participants those we where expecting were around 40 individuals but the number swelled into 150. This only shows that the local governments have been becoming aware of the issues of waste management," Cabeso said.
She also added that the DENR is giving local government units (LGUs) ways and means for better waste management and disposal.
"This would in turn result to an easy closure of open dumpsites," she said.
The DENR aims to close all open dumpsites at the start of this year. (IOF)
