Another illegal dump ordered closed in Valenzuela

Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian ordered closed yesterday another and much bigger idle lot, which has for years been converted into an illegal dump in Barangay Ugong.

The dump, city officials say, sits on and occupies a third of a one-hectare private property on M. Bernardino street owned by Guillermo Buenaventura and was the second to be ordered closed by Gatchalian within the month.

This developed as the leveling and clearing of the 1,000-square meter lot on Urrutia street, a largely residential area in Barangay Gen. T. de Leon, was completed by Waste Management Office (WMO) personnel yesterday.

The illegal dump on Urrutia was discovered early this month while an information drive on waste segregation was being conducted by the Task Force Disiplina of the WMO.

Garbage has accumulated in the area for the last seven years and has risen to around 10 feet from the ground.

"We are determined and sincere in seeing to the success of this campaign. We want to serve notice that the city government is serious in transforming Valenzuela and providing a clean and pollution-free environment for, not only its people, but so, too, for everyone coming to our city," Gatchalian said.

Waste Management Office chief Rommel Pondevida told The STAR the latest closure order was served through the local police.

He said the lot owner in Ugong was ordered to stop using the lot as a dump or else face the consequences.

Pondevida added that the area was put under surveillance as early as two weeks ago.

A payloader belonging to the illegal operator has been impounded.

Adding insult to injury is the fact that the site was allegedly being used to dump garbage from other cities, Pondevida said.

He said the campaign will be a continuing effort, adding that he is seeking authority from the City Legal Office to undertake inspection of private lots occupied by factories in Barangay Ugong. Some factories he said have been reported to be burying by-products and other industrial wastes.

"We cannot enter the premises and do our job without the authority. We will need a mission order to do that. Burning waste is illegal under the law," Pondevida said.

The mayor added that Valenzuela has been spared of the problem now being experienced by some towns and cities affected by the strike staged by workers of a garbage hauler.

"This is because we manage our garbage collection efficiently and well on our own," Gatchalian said.

The city is proud of its solid waste management fleet of five 10-wheeler trucks and 30 mini-dumptrucks and a complement of some 432 personnel, including streetsweepers and a shovel and spade battalion.

The equipment is part of Gatchalian’s "capability-building program of self-reliance" for the city government.