‘Never again’

President Arroyo led national and local officials yesterday in unveiling the memorial marker to honor the memory of the victims of the Payatas tragedy in Quezon City four years ago.

The President was joined by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Secretary Elizea Gozun of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Housing Undersecretary Rey Bagatsing, and city officials during the unveiling rites at Purok 6, Lupang Pangako in Barangay Payatas B.

The marker, which began construction in May this year, was built exactly in the same area where a mountain of garbage collapsed, burying hundreds of residents alive on July 10, 2000.

The unveiling of the memorial marker was preceded by a Mass celebrated by Novaliches Bishop Msgr. Antonio Tobias at 7:45 a.m.

They were also joined by Rep. Rosa Anne Susano, Councilors Voltaire Liban and Winston Castelo, PNOC president Gen. Thelmo Cunanan and PNOC-EC president Rufino Bomasang.

Also on hand were city hall officials, led by secretary to the mayor Tadeo Palma; EPWMD head Frederika Rentoy; POG head Col. Jameel Jaymalin; Gregorio Bañacia, Public Affairs and Information Services Office head; Teresa Mariano, SSDD head; Conrad Buenaventura, OSCA head; and Barangay Captain Rosario Dadulo.

During the program, Belmonte cited the importance of the marker "as a living memory of those who perished in the Payatas tragedy" which, he said, would also serve as a wake up call and a challenge for government officials in undertaking more effective measures to ensure that no other incidents of this magnitude occurs in the future.

The mayor vowed the Payatas tragedy will never happen again in Quezon City.

He said that since he assumed office on July 1, 2001, the city government has instituted various infrastructure developments are the Payatas dumpsite for its operational efficiency, including the widening of waterways around the dumpsite, controlling the volume of garbage being dumped in the site, applying soil cover to reduce odor and prevent the occurrence of dumpsite fires and installing pipes under the mountain of garbage to lessen friction caused by leachate and methane gas store underneath.

The mayor said that while Payatas is the most depressed barangay in Quezon City, which has more than 600,000 residents, the area has received the biggest share in terms of infrastructure development, with more than P200 million.

Belmonte said the city government has spent more than P50 million for the infrastructure development of the Payatas dumpsite alone.

He cited the need for investments in the area in a bid to bring business activity and job generation for the more than 300 families living in nearby communities.

Belmonte also thanked President Arroyo "for her continuing concern and commitment for the development of Payatas, as well as the economic well-being of the residents, since she was still a senator, vice president and Social Welfare secretary until she became President.