Plastic and food wastes are thrown in this canal located near a restaurant in Barangay Inoburan, Naga City, Cebu. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / June Carlo Encase
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Eat-all-you-can restaurants are popular in Cebu these days.
But do you know where these establishments dispose their food wastes?
Naga City resident June Carlo Encabo posted on Facebook photos of a dirty canal, where shells, shrimp heads and plastics were disposed.
It is located near an eat-all-you-can restaurant in Barangay Inoburan, Naga City.
Encabo, an engineer by profession, said the restaurant is located just across the area where he waits for the bus that takes him to work every morning.
He took the photos at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, June 12.
He said he approached the three staff, who were present at that time, and asked them to clean up the area.
“We’ve been suffering from the malodorous smell coming from this restaurant for months now. This morning (June 12, 2019), I reached my limit. I went to the establishment and found what you are now seeing in the photos,” he told CDN Digital.
Encabo alleged that the restaurant also burns its garbage inside a steel barrel.
Encabo urged the local government to review the permit of the establishment.
“Penalized this practice. No one should be allowed to deteriorate the environment in exchange for profit. Enroll the management to sanitary and waste disposal training,” he said.
His post did not go unnoticed.
Jehan Ubas-Repollo, head of the Naga City Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), replied and said that they will conduct a joint inspection with the sanitary office on Thursday, June 13.
In an interview with CDN Digital, Ubas-Repollo said she learned about Encabo’s complaint when a person tagged her on Facebook.
“Usually, if we have complaints like this, we will do an inspection to verify the complaint. Then we will write a report letter. The barangay concerned and the establishment concerned will be furnished with copies,” said Ubas-Repollo.
She said a technical meeting will follow, which will be attended by the barangay captain (or his representative), the owner of the establishment and the sanitary inspector.
“During the technical meeting, we will discuss (matters) and we let them do an undertaking to commit within a certain time. If they will not comply with this commitment, we will forward it to the City Legal Office,” Ubas-Repollo told CDN Digital.
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“Siloy is Watching” is the social media advocacy of CDN Digital that publishes issues and happenings that needs to be brought to the public’s attention. It is named after the siloy, the local name of the endemic and endangered bird species, Black Shama, that can only be found in Cebu. CDN Digital calls on the public to remain vigilant and be agents of information and change as it fulfills its mission of practicing journalism that builds communities.