FIFTEEN villages in Bacolod City have been documented violating the “no segregation, no collection” policy.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of Solid Waste Action Team (Swat), said Monday the members of Swat and Solid Waste Educators and Enforcement Team (Sweet) listed 15 villages with violations on waste segregation in relation to the implementation of the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Program.
These villages are Barangays Mandalagan, Banago, Mansilingan, Villamonte, Taculing, Singcang-Airport, 1, 6, 8, 12, 13, 24, 38, 39, and 40.
Familiaran said the list of the violators will be forwarded to the Environment Management Board (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to call the attention of the barangay officials and for the imposition of penalty.
He said the DENR will meet with the erring villages to discuss their violations, adding that barangay officials may also face administrative sanction for failure to comply with the waste segregation law.
Familiaran pointed out that it is the function of the barangay officials to educate their constituents on the implementation of RA 9003.
Last December, the City Government strictly implemented the “no segregation, no collection” policy. However, Familiaran said the waste segregation compliance is still very low.
He said the barangay officials should do their part to avoid sanctions and penalties.
“We will continue to document the violators of waste segregation policy," he added.
Executive Assistant Samuel Montoyo, member of Anti-Red Tape Act (Arta) Core Team, said that he will coordinate with the Swat to determine the non-cooperative barangays in the implementation of RA 9003.
He said that he could file charges against the non-cooperative barangays.
Montoyo added that as a member of the Arta Core Team, it is their obligation to determine the compliance of the barangays in the implementation of the city’s programs.