Calbayog sanitary landfill opens to serve

By GINA DEAN-RAGUDO, Samar News.com
July 24, 2011

CALBAYOG CITY  –  Aside from government officials, stakeholders of Calbayog witnessed the inauguration and blessing of the city’s sanitary landfill.

Undeniably, the completion of this project will answer the problem that has been confronting the local government for quite a time.

The city is looming with garbage problems despite the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or the Republic Act (RA) 9003. Since the passage of this law, local chief executives have noticed that there were many lapses in the implementation stage in terms of capacity building on the part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

As the SecGen of the League of Cities of the Philippines, ex-mayor now Congressman Mel Senen Sarmiento, made some initiatives to revisit certain provisions of the law. Eventually, his efforts were recognized by former DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes making Calbayog one of the recipients (aside from Davao City and Sagay City) of Japan government to avail technical assistance and sanitary landfill projects. Series of studies (i.e. geological, water quality and design) have been conducted by some experts and other members of the Solid Waste Management Council were given a chance to visit Japan to make some observations how this nation effectively implement solid waste management.

“There were only three cities chosen, and I appealed that the cheapest design and law compliant be set up here,” added Sarmiento.

The 4.9 hectare sanitary landfill located in Brgy. Dinagan this city only costs P48 M; and this landfill (SLF) will be one of the models in the country, the solon said.

Prior to the establishment of the SLF, the city was able to put up a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Brgy. Payahan, replicated by other areas in Calbayog in conjunction with the implementation of the waste segregation ordinance and the no plastic no cellophane policy on weekends.

Relative to solid waste management is a challenge on Clean Water Act.

The relocation of the city’s public market to Magsaysay Extension intends to prevent the vendors and stall holders from throwing their garbage and waste products in the river, Sarmiento clarified.

As a consequence of dumping wastes in water areas which causes pollution of marine lives and devastation of the environment manifests a clear violation of this law with a corresponding penalty in the amount of P200 hundred per day, he averred.

Human activity like mismanagement of waste has serious environmental effect: ground and surface water contamination, local flooding, air pollution, exposure to toxins, and spread of disease. Many of the disposal sites contain infectious material, thus threatening sanitation workers and waste-pickers.