CITY OF SAN FERNANDO --- The management of Orchards Community Place, located along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Telebastagan in this city, on Saturday said it is addressing the concerns of residents along Jesus Street inside the neighboring Essel Park Subdivision.
Last week, Sunstar Pampanga received a letter purportedly signed by "Jesus Street Residents of Essel Park Subdivision."
The complainants stated that "a nearby facility has been causing extreme disturbances that are depriving us of sleep and potentially damaging our local environment."
The letter, which is seeking media assistance, raised severe sleep deprivation among the children, elderly and residents who work from home. The residents said the facility operates a waste pumping machinery that generates intense and continuous noise.
The residents also cited environmental damage. They claimed that there are reports of Acacia trees in the surrounding areas being deliberately damaged, allegedly by the facility's workers with the use of kerosene.
The complainants also mentioned regulatory concerns. "We question how this facility obtained a license to operate 24/7 in a residential area, seemingly in violation of local zoning laws and environmental regulations."
"Our community is desperate for a good night's sleep and a return to normal, healthy lives. We believe that with your help in bringing this issue to light, we can finally get the attention and action needed to resolve this crisis," the letter, addressed to this paper, stated.
In an exclusive interview with SunStar Pampanga on August Saturday, August 10, Orchards Community Place manager Jonathan Lazatin clarified that the management of the establishment, which opened in December 2020 and operated by CBJ Development Corporation, has been addressing the residents' concerns.
"They [Jesus Street residents] first wrote by email to the Essel Park Homeowners Association (EPHOA) on July 6 this year which was then printed and given to us by EPHOA. And then ever since we got it, we sent a letter to the homeowners association saying we received their letter and that we are trying to pinpoint which is affecting them and then we will make the changes needed," he said.
"We were taken aback that after receiving the letter and acting on their concerns immediately, we got visits from the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), LGU (Local Government Unit) and nag-water testing pa nga sila. We wrote the homeowners association telling them about it, together with the findings that all was in order, and the list of what we are going to do to address the situation. We just don't know if it has reached the concerned residents," Lazatin added.
He noted that the findings of the City Environment and Natural Resources, City Health Office (upon the advice of the Department of Health) indicated there is nothing wrong in the facility.
Lazatin said the alleged noise coming from the waste plant was found to be tolerable.
He added that the facility's Sewage Treatment Facility (STP), situated at the northernmost part of the place with a considerable distance from the border fence of Jesus Street, is allocated for the entire development and all of the waste from the buildings.
"Right now it is only being used for Burger King, Building 1 and Building 2. So it is not yet in full use. It is just at 10 percent. So, its design is over-capacitated. By that, the waste gets treated properly. Hindi siya kulang in any sense. When we were building the Orchard, we took into consideration the requirements of DENR. Before, the STP was not required for commercial establishments. But when we were developing, it became a mandatory requirement and so, we met their standards. We actually found a system that was above their standards. And we are trying to get accreditation from LEAF and other green communities," he said.
He explained that the STP is designed so that the waste from all the buildings in the place is collected, treated in the plant and made into reusable water which is utilized for watering plants and for the toilets.
"It's really a green initiative. But the way it is designed is malaki 'yung machinery which was approved by the DENR and EMB (Environment Management Bureau). Our ECC (Environment Compliance Certificate) is being renewed annually. So everything went through the proper process. If they say we are operating 24/7, it is standard in any establishment, because we have to keep the good bacteria alive for the waste to become reusable water," Lazatin said.
"When we got the complaint, we invited our engineers over and told them maybe the blowers are too big. We, through our own expense, are now upgrading our blowers and got blowers of the low power module, so the sound will be less. But even at that, we are soundproofing the utility room. Everyday it is closed. As for smoke, wala and then the smell is tolerable. There is an occasional smell during the lifting process which is only for five minutes. Then the vents go up and it disperses quickly," he added.
As for the residual waste, Lazatin said the firm maintains two materials recovery facilities for Orchards, one for Building 1 and one for Building 2 which houses 11 tenants mostly food shops and a couple of offices.
He added that the segregated garbage is being picked up by registered haulers everyday.
"It is us who get the grease from the buildings so it does go into the sewage. At our own expense, we put grease traps in every establishment here and collect it every morning before it goes into the system," Lazatin said.
As for the Acacia trees, he said the Orchards "has nothing to do with them."
"We want to keep it sana. The trees are at the side of Essel Park but they extend to the road of Orchards so we get the shade. That is what we wanted, an open space and a park with shade. Eh, si Essel Park, nakita nila yung mga roots sinisira niya yung mga daan. So they decided to cut them down. They have had their permits from the DENR since last year."
On claims that the facility's workers are using kerosene to burn and kill the trees, Lazatin said Orchards has only two administrative staff plus him and two gardeners. "So how can we do that? In fact, we created a plant wall covering the perimeter. We want to keep Orchards clean and green."
"I want to resolve this matter right away. And for them to feel we are doing something. We care about the community. We received their letter this July and naba-bother na pala sila. It will take time lang to upgrade all these equipment that we have now. It is not necessary because the way it is running right now has been approved by the DENR. But we are doing this for the community," he stressed.
Lazatin said Orchards Community place is open for a dialogue with the concerned residents and for them to see what they are doing to address their concerns.
SunStar Pampanga failed to reach EPHOA officials while several residents of Jesus Street refused to comment on the matter.