Fruit firm to hold public hearing on proposed sanitary landfill

CEBU, Philippines - Officials of barangay Panoypoy in Consolacion town will conduct a public hearing today in connection with the proposed sanitary landfill in the place.

Barangay Panoypoy captain Dennis Balaba told The FREEMAN that the public hearing is scheduled at 9 a.m. today. The proponents will present their proposal.

The FREEMAN fist reported that Profoods International Corporation, one of the biggest exporters of dried mangoes in the country, wants to establish a private sanitary fruit landfill in barangay Panoypoy.

Profoods’ plan was discussed by members of the municipal council when Councilor Nilo Ferraren, chairman of the committee on environment, brought up the issue.

During the discussion, it was learned that no public hearing was ever held in barangay Panoypoy, the hearing being one of the requirements before the proponent can ask for a permit from the municipal council.

The public hearing in the barangay level seeks to find out whether residents in the place would endorse the proposed sanitary landfill or not.

The endorsement of the municipal council will also be one of the requirements of the proponent of the project before he can secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Profoods, which is based in Mandaue City, wants to put up a sanitary landfill in the company-owned lot in barangay Panoypoy.

At present, a sanitary landfill, Asian EnergySystems Corporation operates at the nearby barangay of Polog in the town. (FREEMAN)