CEBU CITY, Philippines — The city government of Tagbilaran in Bohol will need to come up with a “better system in managing their solid waste.”
On Wednesday, November 20, Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda has ordered the city to cease and desist the operation of its open dumpsite in Barangay Dampas.
Antiporda, the undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns, was in Tagbilaran City to conduct an ocular inspection at the open dumpsite along with newly-installed Central Visayas Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) Regional Director Lormelyn E. Claudio.
Antiporda issued the cease and desist order (CDO) after they found that the dumpsite was still operational and still accepting untreated and unsegregated garbage despite the prohibition imposed by Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The dumpsite caters to the solid waste products of the entire Tagbilaran City, a third income class city with a population of over 100,000 people.
For the meantime, the 15 barangays in Tagbilaran City needs to practice “segregation at source” so they will be allowed to throw their residual wastes to Albur Sanitary Landfill in Alburquerque town.
“Aside from the immediate closure order, the DENR official directed the LGU to conduct immediate rehabilitation of the area following the general guideline stipulated in the safe closure and rehabilitation of open dumpsite and controlled dump facilities stipulated in Department Administrative Order No. 9 series of 2006,” the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) said in a statement.
Antiporda also called for a meeting with Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell Yap to discuss an immediate plan of action that the LGU would undertake for the closure and rehabilitation of the dumpsite.
“The DENR cannot permit Tagbilaran City or any other areas to continue operation of the open dumpsite with the high presence of leachate which provides high risk on public health and may contaminate the groundwater and water table,” Antiporda said.
Antiporda also assured that the DENR through the EMB 7 will provide technical assistance to the city in coming up with their solid waste management program./dbs