BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia appealed to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environment Management Board (EMB) to be active on its participation in the implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act in the city.
"I'm looking forward (for) a more defined and intent participation of the DENR in the implementation and enforcement of solid waste management," Leonardia said.
He said it is better than the DENR will implement this because they are totally free from political considerations.
"If the DENR will really take a hand on this someday, I think that it is going to be a step forward towards this direction," Leonardia added.
The Solid Waste Action Team (Swat) and Solid Waste Educators and Enforcement Team (Sweet) had earlier submitted the lists of 42 erring villages to the DENR-EMB that violated the "no segregation, no collection" policy.
These villages are Barangays 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 35, 38, 39, 40, Alijis, Banago, Bata, Cabug, Estefania, Felisa, Granada, Handumanan, Mandalagan, Mansilingan, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, Taculing, Tangub, Villamonte and Vista Alegre.
The DENR-EMB was tasked to impose a penalty to the erring villages for violations of waste segregation in relation to the implementation of the RA 9003.
Leonardia, who attended the First Regional Training-Workshop on Measuring and Mitigating Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) from the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Sector with foreign delegates from Asia at the O Hotel in Bacolod yesterday, said the implementation of this program should have a full support from the DENR.
In spite of short notice, the mayor said he is thankful that the workshop was held in Bacolod with representatives from Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Vietnam and Japan; representatives from Department of Public Services (DPS), and DENR-EMB.
"We are serious in the implementation of "no segregation, no collection" policy so we need the cooperation of everybody, especially the barangay officials to avoid sanctions and penalties," Leonardia said.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, chairman of Swat, had earlier reiterated his request to the DENR in Western Visayas to conduct a seminar and deputize the members of Sweet to penalize the erring villages.