COMMUNICATION/NEWS EXCHANGE FORUM... EMB Asst. Dir. Gilbert Gonsalez (top photo) delves on the bureau's programs and prospects during the interfacing with government media (PIA) held at the PIA Central Office in Quezon City, January 13. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)

EMB OPTIMISTIC ESWM COMPLIANCE OF LGUs DESPITE SETBACKS

QUEZON CITY — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) remains optimistic that local governments across the country can and will comply to Ecological Solid Waste Management Law or RA 9003 despites setbacks, according to the bureau’s top national official.

Assistant Director Gilbert Gonzales of EMB said the bureau, through its regional offices, has since been providing technical assistance to and closely monitoring the 360 LGUs given final notice to adopt the waste management law.

Gonzales bared some regional offices of the bureau were already readying, while some have already done, charges against LGUs that are remised in complying with the provisions of the law, usually on open garbage dump site operations

RA 9003 requires LGUs to stop operating open dump sites and violators, after being reminded thrice of their violations could already be charged criminally and administratively in court.

Gonzales explained that the law forbids the usual practice of LGUs, particularly those urbanized towns and cities, of operating open dump sites for waste collected from communities.

“Some or most of these wastes had been found out to be hazardous to health and the environment,” he said.

The law, Gonzales stressed, provides that operating an open dump site five years after its effectivity in 2001 in the case of LGUs shall be punishable with P500,000 fine plus the forfeiture of five percent of its net annual revenue in favor of the national government as administrative penalties.

Gonzales, on the other hand, said the bureau has been providing assistance to LGUs in practicing the three aspects of ESWM, that is, the segregation of wastes at source, segregated collection, and operationalization of Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

“Segregation should start from every household, then with garbage collectors. It has been observed until now that though households segregate their waste yet truck collectors mixed them up,” he said.

The bureau has also urged local governments to establish and operationalize MRF to lessen waste thrown into dumpsites.

Gonzales furthered cited Legazpi City for pioneering the establishment of a sanitary landfill facility in a vast property in Barangay Banquerohan acquired from its private owner by the city government several years ago under then Mayor Noel Rosal.

“The city government was able then to avail cash grant from the Spanish government, through its Agencia Española de Cooperacion Internacional para Desarollo (AECID), for the establishment of the facility,” adding that “others local government can replicate such feat by also networking with the same or other donor organization abroad.”

The present administration of Mayor Geraldine Rosal, the former mayor’s wife, had been continuously utilizing and developing the landfill and the MRF established in the area and providing livelihood to several families involved in its operations.

EMB furthermore is now upgrading the established National Ecology Center (NEC) and 15 Regional Ecology Centers (RECs) nationwide as well as preparing integration of ESWM in curriculum for the three levels of education.

The bureau, according to Gonzales, has renewed and will continue to strengthen partnership with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in its information and education campaign, development of multi-media information materials, and social mobilization.

“The same with other government agencies in strategic educators’ network and implementation in a nationwide scale of RA 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste Management Act,” Gonzales concluded. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)