In the final presentation of the project led by its proponent Environsave recently, mayors, councilors, environment officers, environmental organizations and Ternate residents aired their opinions, asked questions and sought clarifications on the proposed project.
Representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environmental Management Bureau and the National Solid Waste Management Commission tackled issues in relation to the proposed project and the prerequisites for a sanitary landfill as stipulated in Republic Act 9003.
Mayor Walter Echevarria of Gen. Mariano Alvarez town expressed his support for the proposed sanitary landfill, saying that municipal ordinances have proven to be ineffective in solving the garbage problem.
He said they spend from P1,200 to P1,700 for every truckload of garbage transported to the open dumpsite in Cabuyao and San Pedro in Laguna.
He, however, fears that these two towns will soon refuse to accept their waste due to the DENR’s closure order for all open dumpsites.
For his part, Mayor Melencio de Sagun of Trece Martires City favored the setting up of a sanitary landfill, saying the project was well-researched and that the provincial government would not push it if would mean more harm than good to the people.
Mayor Renato Abutan of Rosario town, who also supports the proposed sanitary landfill, appealed to those opposing the project to look at the bigger picture.
He said the garbage problem cannot be singled out in one municipality alone since it is province-wide, adding that the project is for the whole of Cavite and not for Ternate town alone.
In a separate interview, Mayor OJ Ambagan of Amadeo town said the sanitary landfill project "will benefit every Caviteño."
"Our population in Amadeo is small and the garbage that we produce is modest compared to other municipalities in Cavite. But still we are facing the problem of disposing our waste. People may not see it but dumping of waste in rivers and creeks is still rampant. The sanitary landfill will answer our waste disposal problem," he said.
Mendez town has acquired a garbage-grinding machine and has started collecting biodegradable wastes from schools and markets.
Municipal officials said a sanitary landfill would help ease the garbage problem in Cavite, but that it should be properly operated and monitored to ensure that no water contamination would occur.
In his message during the presentation, Gov. Ayong Maliksi stressed that the proposed sanitary landfill is a solution, not a problem and that in any eventuality that it might pose any hazard to the people, he would not hesitate to have its proponent cease its operation.