DENR-7 calls on LGUs to segregate wastes
before throwing into open dumpsites
Cebu City (03 March) - Open dumpsites are already banned under the law but local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas continue to throw their solid wastes in open dumpsites in the absence of a common sanitary landfill facility as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) -7.urged LGUs to just segregate the wastes as not to further harm the environment.
Engr. Amancio Dongcoy, regional coordinator on solid waste management of theEnvironmental Management Bureau of the DENR-7 bared that majority of LGUs in the region have open dumpsites despite the fact, that this is already banned under RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
“There are still around 120 open dumpsites in the region,” according to Dongcoy during a recent Kapihan sa PIA that tackled the topic on solid waste management.
Dongcoy said RA 9003 stipulates the establishment of a common sanitary landfill facility, a site where waste is isolated from the environment to protect public health.
But LGUs argue that putting up a sanitary landfill is very costly with budget constraint as the primary obstacle, Dongcoy said.
Although Dongcoy said he understands the plight of the local chief executives that apart from the problem of budget, mayors only have a short three-year term with so many things to attend to, but that in order to come up with a solution to managing solid wastes in their respective localities is simply to segregate the wastes before throwing these to the open dumpsites.
The DENR-7 official said that methane gas is formed from combined solid wastes dumped in open air which are common in open dumpsites. Methane gas is more toxic than carbon dioxideand is a public health threat, according to Dongcoy.
To address the problem in managing solid waste, there is a need to impose the segregation of wastes between biodegradable and non-biodegradable in the homes while the segregated collection and complete collection of waste must be done regularly by the LGUs, Dongocy added.
Waste diversion is the most critical step after the waste segregation so that one could either do composting from the biodegradable garbage or recycling from non-biodegradable waste that could still be used, Dongcoy further said.
Dongocy however, said that segregation at source or within the household level remains a big problem considering the attitude of most people.
An aggressive information and education drive on waste segregation to the public is needed but that this should also be matched with a strong political will to achieve the end-goal of a safe and healthy environment. (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)
DENR-7 launches “Linis Estero Program”
By: Hazel F. Gloria
Cebu City, March 3 (PIA) -- Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) launches the Adopt-a-River or Estero through the “Linis Estero” Program incollaboration with the river or estero community, donor-partner, local government unit/s and the DENR
Regional Executive Director Maximo Dichoso met nearly 60 representatives from business sectors, local government units, academe and other stakeholders for a consultative meeting recently to map out the various activities of the program.
Dichoso said, a ‘Linis Estero’ donor or partner may be a business establishment, an industry association, a non-government organization or any other group that volunteers to be a major actor in cleaning up our rivers.
“The donor may help in the clean up of a river or estero by providing equipment, human power, and other resources needed to do actual clean-up in partnership with the concerned local government unit, the DENR and other partners,” Dichoso added.
Dichoso explained that the program aims to institutionalize good sanitation and solid wastes management practices among the river or estero communities through education and actual participation in the program.
“This will reduce incidence of water-related diseases and those associated with poor sanitation such cholera, diarrhea, and dengue, particularly among children,” he went on.
According to Dichoso, the DENR is encouraged by the warm expression of support by the business sectors and other stakeholders in cleaning up Butuanon and Guadalupe rivers and other tributaries to ensure unimpeded water flow, particularly during rainy season and thereby prevent and reduce incidence of flooding and risks to lives and properties.
Butuanon River is a 23-kilometer water body that came from the mountain area around Metro Cebu and eventually discharges into Mactan channel.
Approximately 10-kilometer length of the river is crossing Metro Cebu area, most significantly the heavily industrialized and densely populated areas of Mandaue City .
Guadalupe River on the other hand is a 12-kilometer water body that originates in the mountain area around Metro Cebu and eventually discharges into Mactan channel.
Approximately 8-kilometer length of the river is crossing Metro Cebu area, most significantly the heavily extremely densely populated areas of Guadalupe and downtown Cebu City .
The Adopt-a-River or Estero program of the DENR encourages the business sector with local government units (LGUs) and civil society to clean up and maintain a particular river or estero. It is part of the agency’s massive cleanup and rehabilitation of tributaries of major water bodies.
“We know there are industries and other well-meaning organizations who are interested in improving the condition of our waterways which have become threats to public health and safety because of pollution,” Dichoso further said.
Since most of these are tributaries of lakes, seas and oceans, and with the astonishing volume of garbage we always collect during clean-up drives, maintaining cleaner waterways should be a collective priority and a shared responsibility, he added.
He likewise cited the occurrence of La Niña this year that brings above normal rainfall as another reason why the scheme needs to be undertaken in other areas at the soonest possible time.
“We have seen and heard reports of flooding elsewhere in the region. It may be safe to say that some of these were caused by clogged waterways, especially in urban centers,” Dichoso said.
We do not want a repeat of the 25 January 2011 flooding incident that caused so much inconvenience to the people in the cities of Mandaue and Cebu ,” he concluded. (PIA-7/HFG with reports from DENR-7)
Lab result yields negative of dangerous
drugs seized from Chinese nationals
Cebu City (04 March) - The three kilos of white powdered crystalline suspected to be ephedrine, an ingredient for shabu, seized from two Chinese nationals at the Mactan International Airport early yesterday morning was negative for any dangerous drugs substance.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 Regional Director Adrian Alvariño in this morning’s Special Kapihan sa PIA bared the results of the laboratory analysis at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory in Manila where the suspected ephedrine was sent for further testing yielded negative.
The white crystalline substance, packed in 3,000 small sachets, was found inside the luggage of Xiuyu Hunan Tan, when the Bureau of Customs (BOC) -7 searched her luggage. Suspecting the substance to be ephedrine, the BOC immediately informed the PDEA-7 which in turn brought their two K-9 dogs over and had the substance undergo a field testing.
Both of the K-9 dogs sat down beside the luggage, a sign that contraband was detected while the field testing also yielded positive.
Alavariño said that the field testing is not conclusive while a number of stimuli could be the reason behind the dogs’ positive response.
“This is why I immediately ordered for the seized substance to be brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory for further testing. I even ordered my man to depart for Manila last night to follow up on the matter and just this morning, my man brought the result of the lab analysis which is negative,” according to Alvariño.
Asked what would be PDEA-7’s next step, Alvariño said he will immediately process the papers for the release of the Chinese couple.
“They are cleared of any drug charges but we have to turn them over to the Bureau of Customs because they also committed some violations such as bringing in US$20,000, more than the allowed amount of US$ 10,000 which could be a cse of money laundering and for not declaring the substance,” Alvariño said.
Personnel of the BOC-7 yesterday asked Tan to the Passenger Service Office (PSO) to check if the amount of cash she carried exceeded the allowable limit after noticing the bundles of cash inside her bag. Her luggage was then checked after which contained the packets of white crystalline.
Tan, five-months pregnant, along with her companion Iek Wan Wong were taken into the PDEA-7 custody while travel documents showed Wong has been in and out of the country last year for 17 times and four times this year while Tan had been visiting the country for five times since January, this year.
Alvariño however, said they would still check deeper into the background of both Chinese couple and their business in the country as both have said that they come here often to play casino.
Alvariño, along with top officials from the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency were the main guests in a special forum initiated by the Philippine Information Agency-7 on ‘Hazards of Being Drug Mules or Drug Couriers and Government’s Actions.’ (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)