CONGRATULATIONS to the officers and members of Rotary Club of Cebu South and other volunteer groups for joining Minglanilla’s coastal cleanup on Monday, a Heroes Day. The 605 volunteers have cleaned up Minglanilla’s shorelines and gathered 901 bags of all types of indiscriminately disposed of trash that ended up on the shores of Minglanilla. You’re the modern day heroes!
That garbage of all types is visible everywhere is a scary sign and it’s about time that the government enforced the laws to the letter against those responsible, who dispose of their garbage randomly and arbitrarily. The time will come that our country will be labeled “junk.” In fact, developed nations in the guise of recyclables have disposed of their trash in our beloved motherland.
Our country has the most number of laws. Sadly, though, most of these laws have become dormant just because our law enforcement agencies don’t care much. Worse, some of the elected local government officials, who are to execute these laws, are too preoccupied with politics.
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) is an 18-year-old law as it took effect on Jan. 26, 2001, yet its implementation still leaves so much to be desired. This law is comprehensive as it provides for imprisonment or fine for violations. But, has anyone been convicted for violation of the provisions of RA 9003?
It’s fair to assume officials are aware of Section 44, Article 7 of RA 9003. Section 44 in relation to Section 33 of the Local Government Code mandates all the provinces, cities, municipalities and the barangays, through appropriate ordinances, to consolidate, or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes of jointly addressing common solid waste management problems and/or establishing waste disposal facilities.
The Cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu and some towns do not have their own waste disposal facility that is RA 9003-compliant. I don’t think these local government units have coordinated their efforts on the problem. Cebu City and Mandaue City should coordinate because garbage dumped in Cebu City’s Mahiga creek will end up in Mandaue City.
Section 45 of RA 9003 also provides for monetary rewards for individuals and groups that undertake outstanding and innovative projects, technologies, processes and techniques or activities in re-use, recycling and reduction of garbage and encourage private entities to develop or undertake an effective solid waste management or any program geared towards the promotion of this law.
Some local government units (LGUs), however, for some reasons or another, have made it difficult for private entities to do business. Private entities, audacious enough to venture into the solid waste management using the latest technology that includes waste to energy (WTE), are being harassed by some hangers-on for their political interests.
I believe it’s about time for the responsible officials of the different LGUs to review the provisions of this 18-year-old-law to have a comprehensive and coordinated solution to this never-ending problem of trash so that they won’t also be remiss in their duty to serve better the public.