Catmon dumpsite ordered closed

The Malabon City Council has unanimously approved the immediate permanent closure of the 2.2-hectare Catmon open dumpsite.

Acting Malabon Mayor Mark Allan Jayjay Yambao said the dumpsite, which is in use for over 10 years now, has been the subject of complaints by local residents.

"We are just following the orders of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the mandate of the Clean Air Act. Most importantly, we do not want the Payatas tragedy to happen here. The health and safety of our residents are our primary concern," Yambao told The STAR yesterday.

Resolution 04-003, certified as urgent by Yambao, also authorized him to get the services of a private contractor to collect and dispose of the city’s garbage. Yambao said this will address the immediate need of the city for efficient garbage collection and will be a good preparation for the bidding of hauling services to private contractors.

The resolution was hailed by affected residents who attended the session to protest the continued use of the dumpsite. The site has allegedly been operating for years without the required Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the DENR.

Acting Vice Mayor Benjamin Galauran, presiding officer and alleged owner of the land where the dumpsite is located, was absent when the resolution was passed. The resolution was signed by Councilors Edilberto Torres, Ricky Bernardo, Pablo Cabrera, Cynthia Gutierrez, Ejercito Aquino, Lauro Borja, Danilo Dumalaog, Alfonso Manalac and Payapa Ona.

The DENR, on April 29, 2003, conducted an investigation on the dumpsite and found that it poses a grave danger to the health of the local residents. The site, the DENR said, is not fenced and remains a threat to around 50 families living in the site itself.

The DENR has recommended the closure of the dumpsite on May 16 last year and asked the city hall to submit a closure plan.

The Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO), headed by Engineer Benjamin Villacorta, said their records show that no contract was forged between the city government and the owners of the land where the dumpsite is located.

At present, the city has 12 hauler trucks. However, the resolution passed by the city council said there are only eight or nine trucks operating, all of which were not properly registered.

It further stated that the trucks could not be used for long haul trips, hampering the collection and disposal of garbage in the city.