Sen. Zubiri offers tips on how to deal with garbage

CEBU, Philippines - Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday said local government units in Metro Cebu should comply with the law on proper waste collection, and urging them to establish partnerships with private entities.

Zubiri, who was in Cebu City yesterday to attend a meeting with doctors of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center regarding the plan to establish a modern quality and affordable eye center and eye bank, said he was informed that Cebu City and other cities and municipalities in Metro Cebu are having problems disposing of their garbage.

The sanitary landfill in barangay Inayawan is giving the city government of Cebu a big headache.

On the other hand, the dumpsite in barangay Umapad has remained a thorn for Mandaue City.

Some cities and municipalities are still utilizing dumpsites which violate the Solid Waste Management Law.

Although the law is violated, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas cannot file charges against them.

According to Senator Zubiri, local government units should comply with the law and use sanitary landfills instead of continue using open dumpsites.

The senator said that local government units should intensify the segregation of garbage at the barangay level to minimize garbage dumping in landfills.

He said people should also minimize the use of plastic which also causes problems.

He said countries he has visited are successful in dealing with garbage because people cooperate.

He suggested that local government units should partner with private firms in establishing sanitary landfills.

In Consolacion, a Consolacion Sanitary Landfill Methane Recovery and Power Generation Facility are already functioning.

The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act requires proper segregation of wastes before these are dumped into the sanitary landfills, but the provisions of this law have not been fully implemented in Cebu City particularly the "no segregation, no collection" of garbage.

Section 52 of Republic Act 9003 provides that any citizen may file an appropriate civil, criminal or administrative action before the proper courts or bodies against any person or department who violates or fails to comply with the provisions of the law. (FREEMAN)