Mayor approves postponement of compulsory garbage sorting

BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia approved Monday, March 2, the request of the Liga ng mga Barangay to postpone the implementation of "no segregation, no collection" policy from March 1 to April 1.

Leonardia said he held a meeting with the Liga nga mga Barangay along with the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) at the Bacolod Government Center on Saturday, February 29, and discussed the implementation of the program, but due to the ongoing major programs and activities such as the campaign against coronavirus disease (Covid-19), African Swine Fever (ASG), road clearing, illegal drugs and illegal gambling, the barangay officials submitted their request for the postponement of the implementation of the program for one month.

"We find the reasons justifiable, but we also told them that this should be the last postponement. Once we start, we should do it right," he said.

The city officials earlier said that they will enforce the "no segregation, no collection" policy starting March 1, but due to the request of the barangay officials, it was moved to April 1.

But Leonardia said 12 barangays volunteered that they will start the "no segregation, no collection" policy within their villages. These are Barangays 12, 17, 18, 22, 31, 37, Alangilan, Bata, Alijis, Estefania, Handumanan, and Taculing.

"These barangays will serve as benchmark and guide for the full implementation of said program next month. We know it will not happen overnight, but the most important is we make the first step. We need the full support and cooperation of the public," Leonardia said.

He said they are also ready to file charges against erring barangay officials.

Councilor Lady Gles Pallen, Liga ng mga Barangay president, said they unanimously approved a resolution requesting Leonardia for the postponement of the implementation of the program.

"We have 12 barangays voluntarily signifying to start the 'no segregation, no collection' policy starting March 1 and we are hopeful that we can do it," she said.

She added on March 1, about 50 percent of their residents in Barangay Taculing already practiced the waste segregation.

Lawyer Vicente Petierre III, SWMB-secretariat chair, said the 12 barangays will become pilot barangays for the implementation of "no segregation, no collection" policy in the city.

"We will conduct an assessment on the compliance of said barangays with the IPM-Construction and Development Corporation (IPM-CDC). We have our monitoring and enforcement teams to ensure the compliance of the 12 barangays," he added.

Petierre noted that not only the City Government can file a case against the erring barangay officials, but anybody can file a case against them.

Petierre said the Cell No. 2 at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa is also set to be turned over to the city this month.

He said the city's garbage hauler IPM-CDC will only collect the residual wastes that will be dumped to the sanitary landfill.

The "no segregation, no collection" policy is in compliance with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2002.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of Solid Waste Action Team (Swat), said the Department of Public Services (DPS) will also evaluate the performance of IPM-CDC in terms of garbage collections in the 61 barangays.

"DPS will evaluate them while the barangays will also monitor the garbage collection within their barangays because under the RA 9003 stated that if the households fail to segregate, the barangays should segregate their wastes. We cannot perfect it immediately, but then it's doable. If the implementation of RA 9003 is successful, the volume of garbage is expected to drop," he said.

He added the Environment Management Bureau will also issue a notice of violations to the erring barangay officials.

In 2018, the City Government implemented the "no segregation, no collection" policy, but the program was a failure because residents were not observing the proper ways of disposing.

Most of the city residents did not comply with the waste segregation and that Bacolod is still zero in terms of compliance.

Meanwhile, Nelson Sedillo, DPS head, said they are also intensifying their information and education campaign (IEC) in various barangays.

"We also received several requests from several barangays to conduct IEC to educate their constituents," he said.

He added the barangays are also required to put a Material Recovery Facility within their barangays.

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