May 26 2006
Davao to impose fines on solid waste violators
Davao to impose fines on solid waste violators
PIA Press Release
05/26/2006
Davao City (26 May) — Davao City residents who violate the solid waste disposal guide will be slapped with fines and violators who are government workers will also be charged administratively.
Ann Silvosa, head of the city environment and natural resources office (CENRO) said in a press conference yesterday that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will lead the launching of the garbage segregation scheme on Monday which will be implemented in 100 barangays of the city.
She said that on May 27 and 28, the garbage bins will be distributed to the different collection points in barangays, villages, subdivisions and other designated areas.
She said the city government has already acquired 10 compactors estimated to cost about P200 million and these facilities could be the biggest and the first in Mindanao.
Silvosa announced that the solid waste disposal guide was already discussed with 250 subdivision associations as well as the owners of hotels, malls, hospitals, slaughterhouses, markets, schools, offices and other related establishments.
Regular advocacy has been done and Silvosa said that a million flyers were already produced so that all residents could be given a copy as reference for segregating the garbage.
With segregation, she said, their P10 million budget for waste management each month could be reduced by 60 percent and the savings will be directed to the construction of a sanitary landfill that will be located in a 25 hectares area in Buhangin.
She said the open dump in the 12 hectares lot in Carmen that was used since 1996 will be rehabilitated although she said that they started controlled dumping in 2000 where a catch treatment area was established.
“While the residents that time did not segregate their garbage they had slowly applied segregation at the dumpsite because we cannot impose segregation before since the service areas were not ready,” she said.
“We might encounter problems but this is more on attitude of people who would not want to cooperate,” added.
There will be foremen who will be stationed in different areas to monitor the activity and the garbage waste disposal is given three months for the public to adopt.
She said that after the prescribed period, CENRO will start to apprehend and impose corresponding sanctions to violators.
Davao City has an estimated daily volume of 1,000 cubic meters garbage but with the segregation now imposed the volume could be reduced.
Normally, she said garbage trucks make 80 trips daily to collect the garbage and each trip would cost about P6,000.
She also said that one compactor is equivalent to three truck loads and when things get operational it would not only reduce cost of operations but also a cleaner environment.
She reminded the public to follow strictly the guide where she stressed that green bins are for biodegradables that will be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and the grey bins for residuals will be collected on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The recyclables and reusables like plastics, bottles and the like should be taken out only on Saturdays for collection by the CENRO.
Garden wastes like cuttings of branches of trees but should not be more than three feet long will be collected every 15 days but human and animal wastes and animal carcasses will not be collected and must be buried and not thrown in the bins.
“Segregate or your garbage will not be collected,” she said citing Republic Act 9003.
She also urged every residents to study carefully the solid waste disposal guide and for comments and suggestions they may call the 24-hour hotline at 2440094 or 2272655. (PIA/pdbanzon)
