DAGUPAN CITY -- “No segregation, no garbage collection.”
Mayor Benjamin Lim emphasized this to the 31 barangay captains in his recent dialogue with them as one of the efforts of the City Government to address its garbage problem.
The city’s open dumpsite, located along the shorelines in Bonuan and near the Tondaligan beach, has been categorized as in “critical condition”.
“This is not to make somebody look bad but this is the reality we have to resolve as we do the appropriate action,” Lim said.
“If there will be no segregation, there will be no garbage collection in your barangays,” the mayor told the barangay captains.
Meanwhile, Waste Management Division (WMD) head Teddy Villamil has informed the barangay officials that the strict implementation of the waste segregation policy will start on Monday, July 19.
Villamil explained that waste segregation is mandated by law under Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000).
This is duly supported by City Ordinance 1929-2009 (Establishing a Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Program for the City of Dagupan).
It was noted by Lim’s administration that for the last three years, compliance to the barangay campaign on waste segregation was anemic. This resulted to the huge waste volume in the dumpsite area in Bonuan Boquig.
Compounding the city’s garbage problem is the non-functional garbage collection equipment.
In his report to the mayor, Villamil stated that as of May and June 2010, the past city administration acquired two dump trucks, two forklifts, two 10-wheeler trucks and a bulldozer for waste collection.
To address the problem, Lim has ordered the hiring of private contractor to collect waste in the open dumpsite to reduce the garbage volume in the area.
Based on the collection scheduled mapped out by the WMD, “nabubulok” or bio-degradable garbage will be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Non-biodegradable wastes will be collected on Tuesdays and Thursdays while recyclables wastes will be collected on Saturdays. (Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre)