CESET to start suing violators of garbage policy

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team will start filing charges this month against those who have been issued citation tickets for violating the Solid Waste Management Ordinance but refused to settle their obligation.

Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairman of the committee on environment, said she will ask Mayor Michael Rama to pick the first 50 violators who will be charged.

“These first 50 violators will serve as a lesson to others who are non-compliant with the law,” she said.

A month after the closure of the sanitary landfill in Inayawan and the implementation of the “no segregation, no collection” policy, the city government has encountered various challenges, which, Cabrera said, is now being addressed.

Among their concerns is in the enforcement, where some deputized personnel need further training in enforcing city ordinance 1361 and 2031.

Operation continues at the Material Recovery Facility they established at the landfill and Cabrera said, she is preparing the assessment where she would indicate the number of additional machines needed to fully operate the facility.

She said that existing machines operating at the MRF are not enough to process some 200 tons of biodegradable garbage and some 80 tons of non-biodegradable garbage.

Soon enough though, she said, the MRF in Inayawan will no longer accept biodegradable garbage because they will let the barangay process the biodegradable waste at their level.

The city is also looking for a possible site to set up more compost beds because the area they designated as composting site is already full. The city also continues to accept proposals for remediation at the landfill.

Cabrera said that this month, they will focus on enforcement and education campaign until they are able to convince the residents that proper management of waste is their responsibility. (FREEMAN NEWS)