Addressing waste now

URDANETA City’s sanitary landfill project, if viewed strictly in reference to Republic 9003 or The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, is long overdue — more than three years behind the deadline in fact — and the local government officials led by Mayor Amadeo Perez should have nothing to be proud about.

But under the circumstances, where only a handful of local government units (LGU) not just in the province but in the entire country have actually complied with the requirements of that law, Urdaneta could very well get up on stage, take a bow, and receive a well-deserved applause.

The city is paving the way in Pangasinan for the setting up of a sanitary landfill, a major component of RA 9003 for the systematic disposal of solid wastes which every LGU should have already accomplished by February 2006.

Garbage is a very fundamental issue and our local government leaders should begin taking it really seriously if they do mean to bring about real development in their respective areas. A barangay, town, city, or province mired in waste could not hope to progress too far ahead. Unmanaged wastes poses health risks, is detrimental to the environment, and does not contribute any to the psychological well-being of the community. With the entire population producing more trash than could be properly disposed of, waste  management is a sector that could prove who among our leaders are truly excellent administrators and deserving of their elected position.

Gov. Amado Espino Jr., as a special representative of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as deputized by the DENR Secretary, carries a bigger burden on this matter. Clothed with authority to implement environment laws and projects, he can and must take charge in addressing solid waste management in the province.

Many LGUS, especially the small ones that fall under the lower economic classifications, could not afford to build their own sanitary landfills nor have any financial window that will allow them to even dream about it. And these are the towns that could benefit best from Espino’s intervention.

The plan of Urdaneta to open their sanitary landfill to neighboring towns is a win-win solution. The fees to be collected by the city will help pay for the loan that they are going to acquire to build the project, while the smaller municipalities only need to shell out a minimal expense for their proper waste disposal. With Espino’s push and guidance, this model could be replicated around the province with the cities and big municipalities taking the cue from Urdaneta.

The time to do this is not today; it should have been done yesterday.

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