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Saturday, December 13, 2003
Province moves vs. waste disposal woe
By Fred P. Macaraeg
LINGAYEN -- The provincial government has taken the initiative to resolve the garbage problem in the capital of Pangasinan in an effort to further develop tourism in the province.
Provincial Administrator Virgilio Solis Jr. said they have asked the stakeholders of this town to come up with an integrated waste management disposal system and a material recovery program.
He said the waste disposal problem is province-wide "but it so happened that Lingayen is the focus now because the provincial government is also a stakeholder."
In an interview over a local radio station Thursday night, Solis said the province has assigned technical working groups, with each group expected to render a report Friday at the Narciso Ramos Cultural and Sports Center.
Sun.Star, however, has yet to know the result of the waste management summit held yesterday morning prior to the celebration of Barangay Day.
"They will render a report on the Quibaol dumpsite rehabilitation. Ito kasi yong parang Smokey Mountain dito sa Lingayen," he said.
The provincial administrator said the Quibaol garbage dump is so unkempt it needs to adopt a system to keep it orderly and well maintained.
Solis also stated that Barangay Poblacion, led by Barangay Captain Zorayda Arcinue, would likewise report on their material recovery facility.
"We will see how far they have gone in the project. A site has already been identified and there is already a fund for it," he said.
In addition to this, the province also embarked on a campaign to make the Capitol grounds clean and green, "so we will look into their report because the Maramba Boulevard has not yet been renovated while Capitol grounds have already been finished and the Capitol building is also being refurbished."
Political bickering has prevented the local government here from resolving the garbage problem.
Citing the hospital waste management, Solis said the province wants a good program on this issue so a committee was created to come up with ways and means to contain the problem to avoid a possible outbreak of disease.
"It is a big problem because there are so many hospitals and clinics, both public and private, in the province," he said.
The provincial administrator said they are looking for possible sites in the province that could be developed as a common dumpsite for the local government units in each district. He cited the need to have a dumpsite, a sanitary landfill waste disposal system, before the solid waste disposal problem in the province gets worse.
"Marami kasing bawal sa Clean Air Act," he said. By next year, open garbage dumps will already be prohibited under the law.
In Dagupan City, the city government is reportedly set to close its open garbage dump this month.
Prof. Nicanor Melecio said he had already talked with Mayor Benjamin S. Lim, who has agreed to close the dumpsite in Bonuan Boquig.
The site will be turned into a Tree Park.
Due to this, the barangay councils will be responsible for managing their respective solid waste disposal system.
(December 13, 2003 issue)
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