Residents hit garbage transfer station

Residents of several barangays along the boundary of Malabon and Valenzuela have been complaining of the polluted air plaguing them for the past several weeks attributing it to the garbage transfer station in Barangay Santulan, Malabon.

Malabon authorities, however, has denied the reports and blamed a factory for the nuisance and danger posed on the health of the residents.

Neighboring affected barangays include Panghulo and Dampalit in Malabon and Arkong Bato, Rincon and Malinta in Valenzuela City, depending on where the wind is blowing.

Barangay Arkong Bato chairman Alvin Feliciano immediately conducted an ocular inspection of the area.He personally witnessed during their inspection that evening, a large number of rats scampering away toward the pile of garbage.Feliciano added that these pests could easily multiply and become carriers of gastro-intestinal diseases like cholera, and life-threatening diseases like leptospirosis, typhoid fever and dengue."It was unfortunate the garbage transfer station is located very close to our barangay.  We cannot take this situation too lightly, the stench is overpowering," Feliciano said.

Residents said their problem has been brought to the attention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), but a visit made in the area has apparently produced nothing.

Engineer Bobby Racho, Malabon Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) chief, was quick to deny the problem was caused by garbage dumped at the transfer station and blamed a food manufacturing firm behind the facility.

"Naiintindihan ko ang reklamo nila pero they are barking up the wrong tree. Hindi natin matatanggap yan," Racho said.

The transfer station has been operational since April 2006. The solid waste dumped there is dispatched to Montalban after 24 hours.

"Hindi pwedeng may amoy kasi ilang beses naming inspected yan at may nilalagay kaming kemikal, deodorizer para patayin ang mabahong amoy ng basura. At saka hindi dito galing ang sinasabi nila," said Racho presenting a copy of an inspection report that showed the factory acknowledging that the odor was caused by a malfunctioning machine.

The report made by the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) quoted silver Swan chief chemist Fe Crisistomo as saying that their scrubber cooking tank had malfunctioned causing the bad odor. Crisostomo, in her own handwriting, promised to correct the situation.

Racho assured the publicthat the transfer station, all of 4,000 square meters, is due for closure in about a month.