P'sinan town won't allow Baguio trash in its dump

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan, Philippines  – No way.

This, in effect, was the stance of this town’s mayor on the possibility that Baguio City could be allowed, even in exchange for a fee, to dispose off its garbage in the 16-hectare controlled dump here.

Mayor Armand Domantay said he was surprised when he saw on national television a Baguio City official saying that they would dump their garbage in this town.

“I have not talked to any official or representative from Baguio. There must be a consultation with the people but we know its bad effects to our people so there’s no possibility we would approve that here in our town,” Domantay said over Aksyon Radyo Pangasinan.

“There’s no understanding yet and as long as I am the mayor of Malasiqui, I would not allow any town to dump its garbage here,” he added.

Earlier, Urdaneta City allowed tons of garbage from Baguio’s collapsed dump in its sanitary landfill.

Malasiqui operates a controlled dump where heavy equipment readily bury garbage so it won’t attract insects like flies. About five tons of garbage is dumped daily at the 16-hectare dump in Barangays Bacundao West and Taloyan.

Domantay said the dump was intended for the exclusive use of his town, which is one of the biggest in terms of land area and population in Pangasinan. 

Asked if he would reconsider if Baguio would pay a fee to dump its garbage here, he said no amount of money would change his position.

“Even if they offer payment to our town, we would not accept it because we do not want that the trash of others would be brought here,” he said.