NGO’s P2M questioned

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has questioned the legitimacy of a non-government organization (NGO) that has already collected more than P2 million from business establishments through seminars.

The NGO, which briefs businesses on proper compliance with the City's solid waste ordinance, is not accredited with the City Government.

In its session yesterday, the City Council requested Paglaum Basureros 20/20 Inc. to attend an executive session on October 23 and explain why it is collecting from business establishments.

It also asked the NGO to furnish members a list of establishments that paid the P750 registration fee.

The executive department, though, see nothing wrong with what Paglaum Basureros is doing.

"Is there a law that says that nobody can organize seminars without accreditation from the city council or approval from the mayor?" said Atty. Jade Ponce, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama's consultant.

"They don't need an approval or accreditation as a private entity to conduct a seminar because it is a constitutional right of any per son or group to conduct any kinds of seminars basta di lang (as long as not) unlawful," added Ponce, who also heads the City's Land Management Council.

Paglaum Basureros has already conducted four seminars this year to guide business establishments in complying with the provisions of City Ordinance (CO) 2243, particularly the mandatory submission of Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP) when securing or renewing a business or mayor's permit.

This was after the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) finally implemented the ordinance last August on the ESAP requirement, which was deferred three years ago.

Yesterday, The City Council questioned the legality of Paglaum Basureros conducting seminars for business firms when it is not accredited by the City.

City Councilor Nida Cabrera, Committee on Environment head, told The FREEMAN that Francis Paragas, a member of the City's Solid Waste Management Board and Paglaum Basureros manager, volunteered to hold seminars on CO 2243.

Rama allegedly gave his blessings for the NGO to do it.

"Being an organization, wala sila gi-accredit pero kay (it got no accreditation but since) member man siya (Paragas) sa board nisugot si (it got permission from the) mayor; apan ila man gi-abuse," said Cabrera.

There are 28,000 business establishments within the city that are mandated to submit their respective ESAP upon the renewal of their business permits January next year.

 What Paglaum Basureros is doing reached the City Council's ears because of complaints Cabrera's office received regarding the seminars.  She said registration fee is P750, and micro-entrepreneurs who cannot afford to pay it were anxious that renewal of their business licenses would be affected by their failure to attend the seminar.

"One…reported to our office that its participant number for the seminar is 2,758. Meaning, if each of the 2,758 already paid P750, that's a whooping total of P2.1 million pesos going to the organizer of the seminar," Cabrera said.

"They (businesses) made a call and many of them are asking why they still need to pay P750 in favor of Paglaum Basureros," she added.

Ponce, though, said that nothing is wrong with the fee as it is used in organizing the seminar.

"No government fund and resources were used in conducting the seminars, so Paglaum has the right to collect to pay for all the expenses of the seminars para nindot kay if walay (because if there is no) collection unsay nawong ug kadangatan sa (what would happen to the) seminar?" Ponce said.

He said the amount collected was spent to pay for rent of venues (SM Mall and Ayala Mall), logistics, snacks, and seminar materials.

"Dili nila pugson nga mobayad ang tanang (They should force the collection of registration fee from the) business establishments di man (because it is not) mandatory ang seminars.  Gi-required man gud sa Paglaum Basureros ang amount," Cabrera said.

She said Cebu Holding Inc., for example, is worried that potential tenants for its new mall expansion may be discouraged by the additional burden of paying P750 for the seminar.

CCENRO Chairman Randy Navarro, however, told The FREEMAN that he read Paglaum Basureros's invitation given to business establishments and it did not require them to attend the seminar.

"Highly recommended ang seminar for public awareness but it was not the basis of the ESAP requirements and wala siya gi-require," he said.

Navarro said all business establishments would sustain two action programs every year and additional two programs for the succeeding years is the ESAP requirement, not the seminar.

"Naa ra siguro (There may just be) lapses sa dissemination sa information kay ang (because the) members sa Paglaum Basureros ila man na operations pero dili (but not) obligatory kundi voluntary ang pag-attend sa seminar," Navarro added.

Cabrera said they already ordered Paglaum Basureros to refrain from collecting the registration fee in its ESAP seminars and stop promoting the seminar as requisite for the approval or renewal of business permits.

She said it should be CCENRO and the City Treasurer's Office that would hold the seminar for free and not mandatory. — /RHM (FREEMAN)