With the ‘No Segregation, No Collection’ policy taking effect on Thursday this week, barangay officials were told to ensure strict compliance among their constituents on the program.
CDN File Photo
Only two days to go before Cebu City Hall enforces its “no segregation, no collection” garbage disposal policy and only three out of the city’s 80 barangays have submitted their garbage collection schedules.
“We cannot finish the orientation on our policy to all of the city’s barangays in time for the enforcement because we also have to go to the sitios as well especially those with poor garbage collection records,” said Nida Cabrera, chief of the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
She said they sent a special team to conduct the orientations and issued notices to all barangays about their policy.
The barangays were also asked to submit their respective garbage collection schedule for monitoring.
But only Barangays Sambag 1, Sambag 2 and Kalubihan have submitted their schedules.
Cabrera said they wrote the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) headed by City Councilor Phillip Zafra to extend their cooperation to the program.
Zafra said he supports the program but reiterated that CENRO should coordinate with the barangays.
“CENRO should meet with the barangays on the program. We have no problem with it,” he said.
He said there are populated barangays who don’t have enough garbage trucks to collect the wastes in their area.
Zafra also questioned the presence of Barangay Environmental Officers (BEO) in their designted areas.
“There should be a general assembly or meeting with all the concerned agencies to synchronize the schedules and answer all the questions on the program,” Zafra said.
City Ordinance 2031 or the solid waste segregation program prohibits the disposal of trash in public places and the non-segregation of garbage into residual, non-biodegradable, biodegradable and special waste.
It also prohibits the disposal of trash outside the scheduled time of collection and throwing of garbage outside five meters of the household and/or establishment’s gate.
Corresponding penalties include a P500 fine and a community service of one to six months or imprisonment.
Cabrera said under the program, they expect toreduce by 30 tons the city’s monthly garbage volume of 600 tons.