Sanitary landfill project residents want its use exclusive for their town

ALBURQUERQUE, BOHOL , Philippines – The multi-million sanitary landfill project must be for this town’s use only and not for other towns, demanded the residents to municipal officials.

The objection and resistance of the residents became tenser upon learning that the bidding for project’s phase 2 was set to take place before the year ends although there was no definite date about it yet.

The controversial and much-delayed P215-million project is intended for a dumpsite of residual garbage from the towns of Panglao, Dauis, Baclayon, Loay, Loboc, Balilihan, Corella, Sikatuna, Maribojoc, Cortes and Antequera. This is clustering of dumpsite in the form sanitary landfill pursuant to the Local Government Code of 1991.

Mayor Benedicto Alcala of Panglao town said in his text yesterday that the project would be the only solution to their mounting solid waste management problem as a result of tourism-related activities.

Efforts to contact Mayor Efren Tungol of Alburquerque however proved futile because he was reportedly out of his residence.

In a visit yesterday by The Freeman to the project site in Barangay Dangay of this 5th class town, grasses and tall bamboos were seen to have grown on the sandy-based floor of phase 1 area, and that the painted administrative building nearby was empty with grasses growing around it and even on its eaves facing the dirt road.

The residents not far from this building told The Freeman that they wanted very much the landfill but only for their garbage and not from other towns as intended by the project proponents.

Another resident, who was a former official here, agreed with his townmates that the landfill must be for their town’s use only, and not as host for other towns’ garbage.

Earlier, the town’s planned dump was deemed a good site because its location “fits all criteria on soil formation and topography.” It is not an agricultural site, not a flood-prone area and situated in a non-fault line, the DENR was quoted as saying then.

The project, which is under jurisdiction of the Tourism Infrastructure and Economic Zone Authority—formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority, has undergone scrutiny and evaluation by the technical working group on sanitary landfill, composed of experts, including the National Solid Waste Commission, the report said. (FREEMAN)