Old friends Quiambao, Palad on opposite sides

BAYAMBANG — As expected, it was an emotionally-charged public hearing that saw the opposition to the proposed construction of a sanitary landfill in the town raising some blood pressures.

The strong opposition from both the private and public sectors to the proposed multi-million sanitary landfill in barangay Dusoc here was manifested, but the proponent stood firm and tried to justify the project to the extent of making public its willingness to fully finance and undertake the project.

In a public hearing held Friday, oppositors to the project hinted at corruption charges, illegalities and railroading against local officials pushing for it and the proponent.   

The public hearing, the first at the provincial level, was set to thresh out issues related to   municipal council resolution No. 27 granting development permit to Waste Integrated Network System (WINS) to construct, operate, develop and integrated solid waste management facilities in barangay Dusoc, Bayambang.

Industrialist Cesar Quiambao, a native of Bayambang, stood as the leading but conditional oppositor who called on town officials not to make Bayambang a depository of wastes for the whole of Pangasinan as well as the neighboring provinces of Tarlac and La Union.

In a news conference at his residence, Quiambo hinted at going to court if the project is approved unless the sanitary landfill will be made to accommodate only the wastes from Bayambang.

Quiambao, president of the Quezon City-based Spectrum Inc. and other business conglomerates here and abroad, also questioned the legality of the ownership of the land which will become the site of the landfill.

Accompanied by his counsel, former Court of Appeals Justice Demetrio Demetria, Quiambao revealed that the land, which WINS purchased from Azucarera de Tarlac, was actually a military reservation and wondered how it came to be transferred to private parties.

He called on the municipal council to recall the resolution, saying this was approved with out any public hearing and public bidding.

Meanwhile, Councilor Gerry de Vera, chair of the committee on health and sanitation, said the resolution was referred to his committee but it was already approved by the council even before he submitted a report, charging that it was railroaded by the majority.

Councilor Lito de Vera, proponent of the resolution, defended the council’s decision saying the measure was urgent because local government units have been mandated to phase out all open dumpsites and shift to sanitary landfill.

For his part, Abelardo Palad, president of WINS and also of the Bayambang-based Hands of Heavens memorial park, remained unperturbed. He said his company had gone through the required processes starting from the barangay where the project would be built, the municipal solid waste management board, the municipal government and it is now only awaiting the nod of the provincial board.

He   said his company has already complied with all the requirements needed before the issuance of the Environmental Compliance Certificate by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Palad, though booed at times by oppositors and hailed by those who support the project, underscored that the sanitary landfill will not be a bane to the environment as some of the oppositors fear.

The proposed landfill is the only the second such project in the country after the one built in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

At the same time, he called on the public not to be apprehensive of the financial capability of WINS, which is led by Atty. Fernando Cojuangco, a top executive of the Cojuangco Group of Companies and owner of other private corporations.

      Another investor of the project is Dr. Reynaldo Medina, the country’s only doctor on hydraulic civil engineering, designer of practically all of the existing landfills in the country today, said Palad.

       He added that all the investors involved in the project are Filipinos.

      All  members of the provincial board, except for two, were present during the hearing, which was presided over by Senior Provincial Board Member John Agerico Rosario, chairman on laws and ordinances.

      Outside the town’s gymnasium where the hearing was held, groups for and against the project rallied, holding up their respective placards and streamers. They attempted to enter the venue but the police, led by Superintendent Rolly Saltat, kept them out.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments