Barangay MRFs, markets full of uncollected garbage
BARANGAY officials operating Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and stallholders at the Malimgas Market confirmed that regular collection of daily garbage has been discontinued since City Mayor Brian Lim lost in his reelection bid.
Both sectors already complained of stench filling the air and increasing number of swarm of flies and mosquitos at the uncollected garbage, posing more serious health hazards.
Worse, there are reports reaching The PUNCH that some households are beginning to burn their wastes or dump these in the Pantal River, further aggravating the pollution in the city.
And as if the city hall’s problem was not enough, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) recently warned the city government’s violation of the R.A. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act ) over its continued use of the open dumpsite, hence the dump site remains closed.
But for all these, councilor, Librada Macalanda, blamed her colleagues during the regular session of the Sanggunian Panlungsod on June 13.
She attributed the problem to the continued delay in the approval of the 2022 annual city budget because the garbage collectors were not only receiving their salaries under the reenacted budget but are deprived of the P500 allowance for garbage collectors as provided in the 2022 budget.
Majority Leader Councilor Michael Fernandez rebutted her claim and maintained there is no P500 allowance for garbage collectors provided in the pending 2022 annual budget and cited instead reports from garbage collectors that the city hall has stopped issuing purchase orders for fuel for the dump trucks.
Meanwhile, Councilor and Liga ng mga Barangay president Marcelino Fernandez belied Macalanda’s assertion and said garbage collectors have been receiving their monthly salaries under the reenacted budget.
“Garbage collection is an essential service and is funded annually, and therefore, covered by the reenacted budget,” Fernandez said. “The garbage collectors, like all employees of the city government, receive their salaries under the reenacted budget,” he added.
Meanwhile, a barangay garbage collector in Bonuan Gueset confirmed that all garbage and wastes collected from households are simply brought to the MRF for the WMD to collect and dispose of. (Leonardo Micua)
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