TO DECREASE the volume of waste being disposed at Alno Engineered Sanitary Landfill, the municipality of La Trinidad Valley seek to strengthen the “Bantay Basura” program.
Councilor Roderick Awingan in his proposed measure said the ordinance aims to maintain the high compliance rate of waste segregation at source.
In 2016, the Bantay Basura program was conceptualized and initially implemented under the Bottom-up Budgeting through the Tulong Pangkabuhayan para sa mga Disadvantaged at Displaced Workers of the Department of Labor and Employment.
The Bantay Basura program comprised of deputized personnel to monitor in the compliance of solid waste segregation and ensure proper segregation at source and that the bringing out of garbage on the given schedule of collection is followed.
Corresponding fines are also issued based on the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Ordinance imposed upon violators.
Based on the garbage disposal data collection from July 2017 to February this year, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office noted that prior to the implementation of the program, the average volume of waste being dumped was 50 tons a day and with the Bantay Basura the average volume of waste being disposed decreased to almost 40 percent and now an average of 30 tons per day.
“Bantay Basura had proved to be effective in increasing compliance rate to waste segregation at 90 percent at the garbage collection centers,” added Awingan.
An organized corps of bantay basura volunteers coming from the 16 barangays of the town will be accredited where the number of volunteer will be equal to the number of garbage collection areas.
Guidelines are formed for the mobilization, protection, and capacity building and termination of service.
All activities of the volunteers must always be coordinated with the La Trinidad Police Station and the barangay officials with the Menro.
Volunteers of the program are to receive benefits as monthly honorarium subsidy in the amount corresponding the frequency of their duty in the given schedules.
Daily garbage collection sites be given an amount of P3,500, three times a week for P2,2000, twice a week for P2,000, once a week for P1,000 and P900 for once a month garbage collection sites.