Metro mayors find ways to cope with trash mess

With the responsibility for solid waste disposal at the local government level, mayors of Metro Manila are hard pressed for ways to cope with the garbage situation.

A number of mayors have innovative and some radical ways. Parañaque City mayor Joey Marquez, also a TV comedian, said that indiscriminate dumping of garbage should be punished by amputation.

Marquez stressed that a law should be passed, with stiff penalties for litterburgs, to instill discipline. However, Marquez noted that his city is coping with the garbage situation in its own way.

He admitted that garbage from Parañaque is dumped outside the city but declined to disclose where. Marquez pointed out that the garbage dumped in their secret location is segregated and composed.

According to Marquez, the city has taken a back-to-basic approach through education at the household level.

Instead of focusing on the homeowners, the mayor argued that segregation should be taught to the housemaids who are primarily involved in garbage disposal in households.

He noted, however, that it would take another two years before an effective segregation scheme could be fully implemented.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco, on the other hand, welcomed the idea of devolving solid waste management from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to the LGUs.

Tiangco also argued that the funds used by the MMDA for solid waste management should be transferred to the LGUs.

The idea has been floated by MMDA chairman Benjamin Abalos, who urged each of the LGUs to come up with their own sites for segregation, recycling and composting facilities. Around P1.9 billion has been allocated to the MMDA for the development of those facilities.

Tiangco added that the MMDA should consider reducing the five percent internal revenue allotment (IRA) required from the LGUs for the MMDA.

He said that since solid waste management would now be the responsibility of the LGUs, then contributions for this service should be deducted from the IRA. The MMDA has started reimbursing the costs incurred by LGUs in solid waste disposal.

In Mandaluyong City, mayor Benhur Abalos disclosed that P2 million would be allocated from the city’s budget for the development of a garbage recycling center.

At present, most of the garbage of Mandaluyong is compacted by machines before it is sent to the dumping areas.

Before the compacting takes place, the non-biodegradables and recyclables are separated and sold to recycling centers and junk shops.

For their part, the 95-member strong Solid Waste Contractors Association of the Philippines aired its support of the segregation program of the MMDA.

SWACAP president Aiza Mercado noted that during the past two weeks the volume of garbage has been reduced.

She observed that the LGUs have become more active in reducing the volume of waste since the assumption of Abalos as MMDA chairman.

Mercado also clarified that the garbage contractors are not against segregation as alleged by some sectors.

"In fact, we are pushing for this," Mercado said noting that composting is already being implemented in Pasig City by the LGU and the city’s contractor, of which she is a stakeholder.

She likewise gave assurance that the collection of segregated garbage from households would be systematic as long as LGUs effectively implement segregation.