Homeowners of Villa Rufina II Subdivision in Soong, Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City have been complaining about the flies, open burning, and foul odor emitted by the city’s garbage transfer station located beside the subdivision. It seems the City’s leadership has ignored their complaint and the recommendation of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 last year to close the transfer station.
Officers of the Villa Rufina II Subdivision Homeowners Association wrote Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan on Sept. 5, 2023, reminding the mayor of the report of EMB 7 dated Aug. 25, which they attached to their letter.
Even though the homeowners already complained to the EMB 7 about the open dumpsite, the garbage transfer station is still operating as one, based on the video clip posted on the FB messenger of “CharClims” in which I was tagged.
Last year, the EMB 7 acted on the complaint of Charlie Climaco, the secretary of the homeowners association, and posted it on its FB account. EMB 7 personnel were sent on Sept. 5, 2022 to the site to investigate the complaint of the homeowners.
In its investigation report, the EMB 7 investigators made the following remarks:
“The transfer station operates as an open dumpsite since its does not comply with RA (Republic Act) 9003, Article 6, Section 39, known as the Guidelines for Controlled Dumps. The following does not meet the minimum considerations for establishment of controlled dumps: a) No regular inert cover; b) Surface water and peripheral site drainage control; and c) Post closure site cover and vegetation.”
Anent to the findings of the EMB 7 investigators, the Bureau directed the City of Lapu-Lapu to: a) fast-track the plans of directly transporting wastes from source to landfill; b) immediately close the transfer station and implement the safe closure and rehabilitation plan; c) implement the mandate of RA 9003, or Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Must strictly implement segregation at source and segregated collection; d) continue to comply with the commitment made during the technical conference last July 6, 2022; e) furnish copy of this report to the Office of the City Mayor and City Administrator for their immediate action.
The Sept. 5, 2022 investigation by EMB 7 on the complaint of Villa Rufina II Subdivision Homeowners Association was the second that the EMB 7 received. Prior to that, EMB 7 already received a complaint about the operation of an open dumpsite from the same residents. Investigators were sent to the site to verify the complaint on July 6, 2022.
In relation to the July 6, 2022 findings of the EMB 7 investigators, they held a technical conference with the city administrator after which the City Government committed to spray deodorizer at the transfer station to eliminate the foul odor, close the transfer station and start the rehabilitation as soon as the memorandum of agreement with Asian Energy Corp. materializes, and secure additional hauling service provider for faster hauling/transport of wastes from transfer station to the sanitary landfill.
Are the officials of Lapu-Lapu City playing deaf and blind to the complaint of the homeowners who live next to the open dumpsite? Worse, it has been a year and city officials continue not to heed the directive of the EMB 7 to close the transfer station, which it had committed to do on July 6, 2022. What are city officials trying to prove?
After more than a year of non-compliance with its directive, will the EMB 7 sue administratively the City of Lapu-Lapu and its officials for the violations in accordance with Section 50 of RA 9003 in relation to RA 7160, or the Local Government Code?