Talisay City access to SRP threatened

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday threatened to close the South Road Properties to vehicular traffic from Talisay City if the Talisay officials will not allow Cebu City from dumping its garbage in the neighboring city.

Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes has reportedly allowed Cebu City to dump its garbage in Talisay’s dumpsite.

But members of the Talisay City Council questioned the move made by  the mayor, saying that allowing the Cebu City government to dump garbage in their city could be “disastrous” for the environment.

Rama said he will talk with Talisay officials to settle the issue, saying: “Unsay problema, we will discuss it.  Let’s all be together. Palihug lang mag-estorya ta ug magtinabangay ta.”

However, Rama warned that if Talisay City officials will refuse he will also be forced to close the SRP to vehicular traffic from Talisay leaving the latter at disadvantage.

“Importante mag-estorya. Kun kontra nila si JVR ayaw lang kontraha ang mayor sa Sugbo ug ayaw gahi og ulo kay kun kamo ang mohangyo nako basi di ko mosugot ug ipasirado nako ang SRP, Mambaling nalang makaagi,” Rama said.

De los Reyes said he is not against the idea of allowing Cebu City to dump its garbage in Talisay’s dumpsite in Barangay Tapul.

“Motugot ko nga puwede molabay ang Cebu City government sa ilang basura pero kinahanglan usab og pagtugot sa konseho sa dakbayan,” De los Reyes said, on the agreement that they will pay the city per ton of garbage thrown in their dumpsite.

The city mayor said that the Cebu City government will pay P700 per ton garbage dumped in their city. De los Reyes said that with the deal, he estimates that the city could earn millions just for a month.

The mayor added that he will endorse to Talisay City Council the request of the Cebu City government to dump its garbage in the city.

But members of the Talisay City Council questioned the deal made by the mayor, saying that allowing the Cebu City government to dump garbage in their city could be “disastrous” for the environment.

Talisay City Councilor Antonio Bacaltos Jr. said that while the city could earn from the venture, it was not the right time to allow other LGUs to dump their garbage in the city’s dumpsite.

Bacaltos, who chairs the committee on environmental protection and natural resources, said that the city was recently reminded by the DENR to convert its dumpsite into a sanitary landfill facility (SLF) as a way to further prevent negative impacts on the environment.

Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante questioned the mayor’s move, adding that the deal he made with the Cebu City government didn’t go through the City Council first.

“The SP (Sangguniang Panglungsod) should be consulted by the mayor. Nowhere in any ordinance or resolution that the SP allowed the mayor (to enter into a deal with Cebu City). Our Tapul dumpsite is about to be filled up. That was the reason we allowed the waste-to-energy project to take effect as soon as possible,” Villarante said.

The Talisay City Sanitary Landfill, with an estimated area of more than 2 hectares, is adjacent to the Mananga Watershed and located inside the Central Cebu Protected Landscape, a recently-declared protected area that is comprised of the five major watersheds of the province.

In a separate interview, Mayor Michael Rama is appealing to Talisay City government to help them address their “garbage crisis” after the permanent closure of the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill.

Cebu City closed the 15-hectare facility, which had been in operation for the past 15 years, because it has reached its lifespan and continued use already pose hazard to public health and the environment.

Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board chairman Jade Ponce said the proposal of the Cebu City to dump its garbage in Talisay City’s facility in Barangay Tapul would increase Talisay’s revenues.

With 100 tons of garbage, Ponce explained that Talisay City is expected to collect a daily income of P70,000 or P2.1 million a month or about P25 million a year.  —/JMD (FREEMAN)