ON its first day of implementation last March 1, some 50 households from different barangays were issued citation tickets by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) for violating the “no segregation, no collection” policy.
Twenty days since enforcement of the policy started, CCENRO chief Nida Cabrera said that around 40 percent of 80 barangays in the city have complied complied with the policy.
She told reporters that this is because the barangay environmental officers (BEOs) have been tasked to visit households daily to check if homeowners have been segregating their trash.
The BEOs go to each household to find out if these have three segregated receptacles. “So diha pa lang daan sa balay, amo na silang gitan-aw (At the level of the household, we’re already guiding them).”
The policy falls under City Ordinance (CO) 2031 (solid waste segregation at source) and CO 1361, which provides for the issuance of citations to those caught urinating, spitting, littering, defecating in public places, or not following the correct schedule for garbage collection.
It prohibits the disposal of trash in public places and the failure to segregate garbage into residual, non-biodegradable, biodegradable and special waste.
Biodegradable garbage includes food waste, fish guts and paper, while non-biodegradable trash include plastics, cans and Styrofoam.
Residual waste, on the other hand, includes rags and diapers. Special waste includes batteries, gadgets, bulbs and broken appliances.
The policy also prohibits the disposal of trash outside the scheduled time of collection and throwing garbage beyond five meters from the household and/or establishment’s gate.
Violators will have to pay P500 within seven days as a compromise fee and render community service for 1 to 6 months, or the court may also order jail time.
Cabrera said somee barangays have partnered together to improve their garbage collection system. Barangays Pasil and Sawang Calero, for example, have assigned trucks for biodegradable and nonbiodegradable trash that will go around the two villages.
The CCENRO chief said that of the 80 barangays, Tejero, Mabolo, Sawang Calero and Pasil are the top enforcers of the policy.
But even with the enforcement, BEOs still find themselves issuing citation tickets to violators.
“So far since pag start nato, naabot nami og 1,000 kapin (household violators). Last year sa atong apprehensions, from January to December naabot mi og 13,000 violators. Nya naa sad mi na file nga kaso naabot og 1,000,” Cabrera said.
She added that this may be because of a lack of commitment from households to the thrust to improve the city’s solid waste management. (RTF)