Quezon residents oppose Fernando’s landfill project

Residents of the second district of Quezon have protested moves by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando to make their province a dumping ground of Metro Manila’s garbage, Rep. Lynnette Punzalan said.

"Is Fernando making the second district of Quezon another Smokey Mountain? Never! We strongly reject that idea," she said.

More than 3,000 people representing a cross section of Quezon rallied in Lucena City last Monday to reject the MMDA’s plan to turn a 2,000-hectare site in the province into a landfill site as part of the "waste rail transfer and processing project" initiated by Fernando.

Punzalan has written Fernando, expressing her objection to the MMDA chairman’s proposal to run daily "garbage trains" loaded with from 6,000 to 8,000 tons of waste from the Philippine National Railways terminal to either Tiaong or Candelaria, Quezon where it will be disposed of and recycled.

"The proposal will surely have negative effects on the environment and health" and could set back the "development of the tourism industry in our province," Punzalan said.

"Fernando should not find an easy way out of the Metro Manila garbage problem by passing it to Quezon," she said.

Punzalan said Fernando proposed the landfill site even as the Quezon provincial board rejected the move.

"I truly see the wisdom behind our people’s opposition to the landfill," she said.

Punzalan rallied provincial, municipal and barangay officials against Fernando’s alleged moves to "court" local leaders with promises of financial and industrial benefits for the host community once the project is allowed.

Monday’s protesters, in a convoy of more than 150 vehicles, stopped over in churches and in the municipal halls of Candelaria and Sariaya towns to gather signatures for a manifesto opposing the landfill.