THE Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) reiterated the strict implementation of the “No backyard piggery” in the city as specified in the Environment Code.
In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code, BRM chairman Erdolfo Balajadia explained the need to implement the provision to ensure the quality of the air and water in the city.
"Let us ask the cooperation of our constituents for them not to dispose of dirty water coming from backyard piggery into our water ways since many people will be affected in the downstream. Government agencies should do something about this by implementing an iron hand and showing to them that we mean business," Balajadia expressed.
The Cordillera office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-CAR) identified the operation of backyard piggeries as one of the major pollutants of the various tributaries of major water systems in the city because some of the piggeries allow their waste to directly flow to the city's water system passing along the Bued and Balili river which is considered to be punishable by law.
Wilhelmina Lagunilla, EMB senior environmental management specialist identified Pacdal, Gibraltar and Maria Basa having the most number of backyard piggeries in the city.
"When the inventory of the backyard piggery operations came to me, I saw all the names and what I saw was the discharge coming from their piggeries goes to their septic tank which goes directly to the creek. This direct discharge goes to the river system, and if the river system dries up, the discharge goes to our aquifer which supplies our water in the City of Baguio," Lagunilla explained.
Based on EMB's data, 40 percent of the water system of Baguio City comes from the Balili and Bued river.
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan recently issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 43, series of 2018 which created an inter-agency task force on piggeries in the city and defining its functions relative to the proliferation of backyard piggeries in the different barangays which had been the subject of complaints from affected residents.
While back yard piggeries serve as a major livelihood for a number of people, Domogan said the same has been a cause of nuisance in their neighborhood due to their alleged failure to comply with the existence of standard septic tanks, the waste from the said piggeries are directly flowing to tributaries of major water systems aside from the fact that the obnoxious odor emitted by the piggeries cause inconvenience to the residents and passers-by.
Lagunilla recommended to the backyard piggery operators to acquire septic tanks without plugs or apply pig waste treatments.
The issuance of the order was anchored on the pertinent Provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8749 or the Philippine clean Air Act, RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act and RA 9904 or the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners Associations which actually prescribe the standards for the existence of piggeries within residential areas.
The EMB-CAR urged the local government to take appropriate steps to prevent the mushrooming of piggeries in residential areas in the different parts of the city to lessen the major contributors of pollution to the waterways.