WHILE the proper segregation of waste is among the responsibilities of the barangay, the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) expressed concern over the refusal of some when it comes to waste management.
“Naa gyuy mga barangay officials nga muingon nga ‘kamo na lang ana Cenro kay inyoha man nang trabaho’ (There are some barangay officials who would say ‘Cenro should work on that since that is their job’),” Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) acting head engineer Dolly Remojo said.
She warned that barangay officials who will not cooperate in the office’s solid waste management may face administrative charges.
Although some barangays slowly settled their garbage problems, she said that there are still four barangays in the city that remained to be uncooperative. She, however, did not name the four barangays.
“We already forwarded the names to the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) for filing of cases,” Remojo said.
Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, mayors and barangay captains are mandated to implement proper waste management in their localities.
Officials who fail to implement will face charges coming from DILG.
Remojo said that Cenro’s continuous partnership with the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) helped in urging the barangays to facilitate and implement solid waste management programs through various trainings.
Earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also issued a warning that it will file charges against barangay officials who will fail to implement proper waste management in their area in accordance to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
“Kaya itong month na ‘to, hinihintay ko na lang yung report dahil mag-uumpisa na kami na magdemanda sa mga captain na hindi nagpatupad ng RA 9003. Naghahanda na kami, we will make sure na mayroong mananagot na kapitan at saka mga mayors. Dapat siguro parusahan ‘yung mga barangay na hindi magpapatupad ng materials recovery facilities. ‘Yun ang isa sa mga mandato ng mga barangay,” DILG undersecretary for barangay affairs Martin Dino.
In February, the DILG has issued show cause orders against 108 local chief executives for not having a 10-year solid waste management plan. However, none of these are in Davao Region.