CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Gov. Lilia Pineda vowed to provide P3-million subsidy to each municipality that could respond with the solid waste management law and plans of the province.
In a meeting with the municipal and city mayors, Pineda reiterated her disappointment with the failure of all the local government units in the province in managing their solid waste in spite of the full support of the provincial government to solve the garbage problem.
“Our solid waste management effort in the province is a failure. Most, if not all LGUs showed no concern in solving this problem. They did not respond to the call of the government on waste management particularly on segregation and putting up of material recovery facilities,” Pineda stressed.
For her second term, the governor reiterated her call to all municipalities and cities to strictly comply with the provision of Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act of 2002.
She encouraged the local officials to identify areas for the establishment of material recovery facilities (MRFs) and the provincial government will augment P3- million for the construction plus provision of bailing machine.
Engr. Arthur Punzalan, head of provincial government – environment and natural resources office (PG-ENRO) reported that the province coordinated with Holcim, a manufacturer of cement that uses plastic for its production.
As pilot areas, Mabalacat City and Porac town are now religiously segregating and bailing their plastic wastes in their respective MRFs and are collected by Holcim free of charge.
He added the hauling cost of garbage to sanitary landfill in Calangitan, Capas, Tarlac will be lessened if other LGUs will emulate the waste management practices of the latter towns.
“The expensive garbage tipping fee is one of the problems of LGUs. However, if they will establish their own MRF, the bulk of hauled waste in sanitary landfill will be lesser and will cut their budget cost for the transportation,” Punzalan explained.
Meanwhile, Gov. Pineda appealed to the local leaders to enforce waste segregation in every barangay.
“The solution to the waste problem in the province lies not only in the hands of the government but also with the cooperation of every household where garbage are coming from. Strict enforcement of waste segregation in every barangay is needed,” Pineda added.
BY JENNA LUMBANG
