Mandaue resident airs concerns over garbage

CEBU, Philippines – It's already four days from Christmas, but are Mandaue City's garbage collectors still basking on the holiday fever?

A concerned citizen raised the question in an e-mail to The FREEMAN after noting heaps of unattended garbage in an abandoned area near the old public market behind the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Barangay Centro.

The mounds of trash are reportedly attracting insects like flies that pose health risks to the residents.

"Ito po 'yung problema sa amin. Madaming nakatambak na basura sa aming lugar. Hindi po ito basurahan. Ito po ay ang lumang public market. Ang problema po dito ay nagkakaroon ng maraming langaw," he said.

He said some people have decided to just burn the unattended garbage but this only made things worse as the stench coming from the decayed waste poses health risks on them.

"Isa pa po ay sinusunog nalang nila ang basura at may hindi po kaaya-ayang amoy ng usok. Masakit po sa ilong."

"Hindi ko po alam kung bakit hinahayaan ng local government na gawing basurahan ang bakanteng lugar. Ang hindi ko po mauunawaan ay parang on vacation mode pa rin po ang taga-kolekta ng basura," he concluded.

Sought for comment, Mandaue City's environment officer Placido Jerusalem blamed the ambulant vendors for the wastes in the area.

"Ang problema gud ani kay kining mga vendors sa kilid-kilid nga mamalik sa old market unya adto molabay sa ilang mga basura," said Jerusalem.

Jerusalem said he had already sent workers to inspect the area, and garbage truck will then follow to collect the reported wastes.

He also admitted that the area has been left unattended while they are waiting for the start of the construction of the new market building.

The city has already planned to build a new P400-million market building in this area after the present building at the back of the Mandaue City Sports Complex was also abandoned for sustaining heavy damage from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake last October 15, 2013.

Since then, vendors have been allowed to use the sport complex grounds, while others are scattered along the streets as ambulant vendors. (FREEMAN)