Mayors held responsible for garbage segregation

Local government heads will be held responsible for non-segregation of garbage at the household level, as well as its improper collection by contractors.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Benjamin Abalos said sanctions would come in the form of administrative charges against the mayors.

Abalos explained that effective implementation of the new segregation, recycling and composting scheme of the government relies on the political will of the mayors.

The MMDA has started an information campaign on the new scheme to pave the way for Metro-wide implementation in the next few months.

Abalos has approved the development of green charcoal production and hydrometallurgical extraction (Hydromex) facilities using garbage as the primary raw material.

The green charcoal was developed by the Linis Ganda movement and is sold internationally as an odor-eliminating substance.

Hydromex, on the other hand, is the process used for the production of alternative building materials such as hollow blocks.

The MMDA stressed that the two systems could only be implemented if garbage is properly segregated by households and collection is done systematically.

It noted that garbage contractors of the LGUs have to be directed to collect the segregated waste separately so as to ensure an effective and efficient operation of the facilities.

"The local government units are always dilly dallying in the implementation," said an MMDA official. At least five sites have been identified by the MMDA to host the facilities.

Pasig City has offered a three-hectare site in Manggahan; Las Piñas, a four-hectare transfer station; and the other areas are in Caloocan, Parañaque and the Port Area in Manila.

Abalos said that each site would employ at least 300 workers for the sorting and recycling. The government is still forced to use sanitary landfills at present until such time that "the LGUs collect separately and the households learn to segregate."

On the issue of the backlog in the collection of garbage, Abalos gave assurance that it would be addressed within a week’s time.