Belmonte tells MMDA: Reimburse trash fund

Quezon City Mayor Felciano Belmonte Jr. asked yesterday the Metro Manila Development Authority to reimburse the money the MMDA had collected as payment for its services for "taking care of a dumpsite."

"The MMDA has been collecting P11 million monthly from Quezon City’s IRA (Internal Revenue Allotment) as payment for its services in handling garbage matters," Belmonte told reporters during a press conference yesterday.

"So I requested them to return the money to us. Quezon City has been handling garbage collection and disposal on its own and should not have paid the MMDA for it," Belmonte added.

Though he could not estimate the total amount the MMDA collected from the city government since it started its collection, the mayor said Quezon City has a refundable amount of P48.85 million for the first six months of the year 2001. The amount was five percent of the city’s IRA share from January to June this year.

IRA is 40 percent of all national internal revenue collections, which is divided among provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays using different percentages.

In a separate interview, MMDA Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. said that all of the local government units are mandated to turn over five percent of its total annual gross revenue as stated in Republic Act 7924 which created the MMDA in 1995.

Abalos explained that he has submitted a proposal to Belmonte, for a waste reduction facility to be developed at the Payatas dumpsite area.

However, he said that Belmonte has not yet responded to the proposal and he called the mayor’s attention to the issue the other day.

Abalos explained that the facility would be used for sorting, treatment and composting of garbage from Quezon City.

The proposal of the MMDA would require no financial contribution from Quezon City for its development, operation and maintenance.

"Maybe he has his own plan but I still have to hear from him personally about the issue," Abalos said.

He added that the LGUs have no choice but to turn over the five percent to the MMDA as it is the law.

On the plan of Belmonte to seek reimbursement of the contributions of Quezon City to the MMDA because of its failure to find a dumpsite for the city, Abalos stressed that the contribution is not limited to solid waste management.

Other services provided by the MMDA for the LGUs are: development planning; transport and traffic management, flood control and sewerage management; urban renewal, zoning and land use planning and shelter services; health and sanitation, urban protection and pollution control and public safety.

Belmonte explained that the MMDA five-percent collection from IRA of all cities and municipalities in Metro Manila was an agreement approved by then President Joseph Estrada and former MMDA chairman Jejomar Binay. Under the agreement, the MMDA is supposed to produce a dumpsite and "it continuously collecting P11 million monthly from us." "If we can get the money back, we can use it for developmental projects that would benefit the city residents," he added.

Meanwhile, Belmonte also gave assurance that the city government will strictly implement a "no indiscriminate dumping of garbage" policy in the Payatas dumpsite to prevent a repeat of the July 10, 2000 tragedy.

Tons of garbage at the Payatas dumpsite in Barangay Lupang Pangako in Quezon City collapsed and buried alive more than 200 persons and rendered 655 families homeless .

"We have sent people there to guard and prevent indiscriminate dumping of garbage in the dumpsite," the mayor noted "scavenging is also prohibited at night."

Belmonte stressed that only garbage collected in Quezon City should be dumped in the dumpsite. – Cecille Suerte-Felipe and Marvin Sy