LGus told to put up residual storage facility to address garbage, DENR-7 says
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, September 19 (PIA) -- Instead of a sanitary landfill to store reduced wastes, the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ((DENR)-7 recommends to local government units to construct a residual storage facility to address their piled-up garbage problem.
DENR-EMB-7 Regional Solid Waste Program Coordinator Engr. Amancio Dongcoy said budgetary constraint is the essential reason behind the low compliance of RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 which mandates LGUs to establish their own sanitary landfill.
“The construction of a sanitary landfill costs about P10M per hectare which is why most LGUs cannot afford to put up with one. In my conversation with some mayors, they said they would rather prioritize basic health services with the huge amount,” Dongcoy said.
Dongcoy said since the law was passed 11 years ago, Most LGUs still have to put up their own sanitary landfill while the piled-up garbage are only deposited in open dumpsites which harms the environment and eventually affects public health.
“There are only six operational landfills operating in the whole Central Visayas while other LGUs dumped their wastes in open dumpsites which are now ordered strictly prohibited effective 2006,” Dongcoy revealed.
Four of the operational landfills are in Cebu but these are substandard in construction and two in Negros Oriental, according to Dongcoy. These are in Cebu City, Talisay City and the Municipalities of Dalaguete and Asturias while in Negros Oriental, these are located in the cities of Bayawan and Bais.
Dongocy said there are also two privately-operated sanitary landfills in Cebu in the towns of Consolacion and Compostela.
During a recent speaking engagement to members of the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers (CAOCAMPIO), Dongocy told the public information officers to recommend to their respective mayors that it is more practical to go into composting and diversion before placing the wastes into a residual storage facility.
Dongcoy said biodegradable wastes should be composted and reduced to its minimum level before placing inside sacks while non-biodegradable wastes or those that cannot be composted and recycled must likewise be placed inside sacks then put inside the residual storage facility.
“Though the law mandates the establishment of a sanitary landfill but if LGUs do not have the sufficient funds and just to make sure that they are doing something to comply with the law in managing their solid waste problem, then better put up a storage facility instead. This is better than not doing anything at all,” Dongocy stressed. (PIA-Cebu)
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Cebu PIOs urged to educate public on need to segregate household wastes
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, September 19 (PIA) -- Public information officers (PIOs) of local government units in Cebu are urged to educate residents in their respective areas on the importance of segregating wastes at the household level as mandated under RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Engr. Amancio Dongcoy, regional solid waste program coordinator of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB)-7 made the appeal during the recent monthly gathering of the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers (CAOCAMPIO).
“You are very critical in influencing the local folks in your area on the need to segregate biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage starting in their homes. Our worsening solid waste problem is actually a social ill because people are not disciplined enough to simply separate biodegradable from non-biodegradable wastes in the household level,” Dongcoy told the PIOs.
Dongcoy added that he understands the situation of the mayors who do not strictly implement the law which imposes fines to violators including littering because they are afraid to lose votes come election time.
“Mayors only have a short term of three years and they have so many things to address. This is why we need to help our local chief executives by informing and educating the people in our localities why we need to resolve our worsening solid waste problem,” the DENR-EMB officer said.
The first provision of RA 9003 calls for the segregation of wastes at source followed by the complete and segregated collection of the garbage which is the task of the barangay, Dongcoy disclosed.
Dongcoy said if one is found to be mixing wastes at the source level, one can be fined P3,000 but in case segregated wastes at the household level becomes mixed in the dump sites then the fine is increased to P5,000.
After the complete and segregated collection of the wastes from the household source, the next step under the law is waste diversion which calls for the reduction of wastes as much as possible before these go to the landfill, this is learned.
Under waste diversion, practical steps are undertaken such as composting, recycling and utilization of residual wastes before these are ready for disposal at the sanitary landfill, Dongcoy bared.
The DENR-EMB official also stressed to PIOs to inform their residents that the specific burning of plastics is a violation under the Clean Air Act because this emits toxic smoke and likewise, the burning of wastes in general under the RA 9003. (PIA-Cebu)