DUE TO insufficient budget the Bantay Basura Program has been partially halted and La Trinidad seeks for its continuity.
Councilors Roderick Awingan and Henry Kipas proposed an ordinance to institutionalize and implement the Bantay Basura Program to continue the ecological and comprehensive solid waste segregation within La Trinidad.
During the public hearing last week, Awingan said they support the Bantay Basura Program and they seek help from the volunteers.
Awingan added ‘Bantay Basura’ has reduced at least 20 tons of wastes being dumped in landfills per day.
“Bantay Basura Program is a big help in the reduction of solid waste in the municipality of La Trinidad. Let’s fight for this ordinance in the council to make this as a law, a policy that will be implemented.” he added.
The Bantay Basura Program was initially implemented in 2016 under the Buttom-Up-Budgeting through the Tulong Pangkabuhayan para sa mga Disadvantaged at Displaced workers (TUPAD) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Volunteers receive a certain amount of honorarium ranging from P900 to P3,500 depending on the frequency of their work.
In 2016, there were 16 barangays with more than a hundred accredited volunteers in the program but because of the insufficient budget, volunteers from the seven barangays have been partially stopped working.
Kipas expressed people in the rural areas are mostly transient and segregation was not strictly observed, thus in terms of managing solid waste management the presence of the Bantay Basura Program is very significant.
“There is a budget of about P2 million for the honorarium of the volunteers but with an ordinance there is a yearly funding for the program. Unlike now, the fund just came from a supplementary budget. They cut down volunteers particularly in the rural areas,” Kipas added.
Bantay Basura Lupon Lucero Egme stated that garbage is not the problem, it's with people's lack of responsibility and discipline, however, Bantay Basura is a good training for everybody and they seek for its implementation and budget for their honorarium.
“We urge for the increase of honorarium for there is an increasing number of households, big nor small houses contribute wastes therefore we request for the increase of our honorarium,” volunteer Linda Tayog said.
Sharlene Hilario added that they requested for additional protective gears such as mask, gloves and boots for their protection.
Menro disclosed that prior to the implementation of the program, the average volume of waste being dumped at the Sanitary Landfill was 50 tons per day.
However, with the implementation of the Bantay Basura Program the average volume of waste being disposed decreased to almost 40 percent residuals waste at an average of 30 tons per day, from July 2017 to February 2018. (Fionna Mel Felicitas MMSU intern)