C-5 Road turns into a trash dump

The Circumferential-5 Road, which spans the cities of Pasig and Makati and the town of Taguig, has become the dumping ground of garbage of unscrupulous residents and erring garbage contractors at night.

Motorists told The Star that "hills" of garbage have mushroomed along the length of the highway as a result of the night time dumping.

The length of C-5 has remained unlighted as a result of the repeated thefts of electric cables intended for road lights to be installed by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The garbage dumping at C-5 has reportedly intensified in the past few days after the closing of the San Mateo landfill in the province of Rizal and the national government’s failure to provide a replacement.

Motorists said people were seen unloading large plastic bags of what could only be garbage from mini-trucks and vans the last few days under cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) blamed yesterday the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Greater Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Committee (GMMSWMC) for failure to put up an alternative sanitary landfill that could have prevented the garbage crisis now hitting the metropolis.

Peter Anthony Abaya, director of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), said that the DENR had asked, about a year and half ago, the MMDA and GMMSWMC to look for a site where a working sanitary landfill could be put up in time for the closure of the San Mateo sanitary landfill last Dec. 31.

Abaya said that under the 1991 Local Government Code, solving the garbage disposal problem was devolved to the mayors.

But MMDA Chairman Jejomar Binay gave assurance anew yesterday that garbage was being collected since last Tuesday.

Binay told reporters the other night that garbage collection commenced two days ago, contrary to reports that operations have not yet started.

According to Binay, the contractors in a number of local government units have informed him about the start of their collections on Jan. 2. He added that the pile up of garbage on the streets of the metropolis was a result of the three-day backlog due to the absence of any collection from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1.

So far, Metro Manila has three existing dumpsites that are still operating in Malabon, Las Piñas and Valenzuela. A fourth dumpsite, Payatas in Quezon City, has been offered by Mayor Ismael Mathay but has attracted stiff opposition from many residents.

Reports indicate that Rizal province is planning to use the San Mateo sanitary landfill for its own garbage.

However, Binay maintained that the he would see to it that no party would use the landfill which was closed down permanently last Dec. 31 by virtue of an order of the President.

He pointed out that the San Mateo landfill is still the property of the MMDA and he would ensure that no dumping would take place and rehabilitation is immediately implemented.

Binay added that the Metro mayors have already decided on a final dump site for Metro Manila’s garbage, although he would not disclose the location.

Without a dumpsite, local governments in Metro Manila face the grim task of keeping their jurisdictions clean with the closing of the San Mateo landfill.

In Pasay City, Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad claimed that this was not a problem as the city’s four garbage contractors have a "confidential" garbage dump.

Trinidad said the location of the garbage dump was being kept secret because garbage contractors of other Metro Manila cities and towns may also dump their garbage there if they find out.

In Muntinlupa, City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said the closing of the San Mateo landfill has not yet resulted in dirty streets in his city because they were able to put up a temporary garbage dump in Barangay Tunasan. – With Jose Rodel Clapano and Marvin Sy