DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental — The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 7 has directed the city government to immediately proceed with the closure and rehabilitation of the present dumpsite based on approved plan.
In a letter dated May 22, 2018 and received June 11, the MGB also directed Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo to submit status of implementation report, subject to periodic compliance of monitoring and validation.
The office of the city mayor was also enjoined to observe the stipulated compliance based on the submitted plans as mandated by Section 27 of Republic Act (RA) 9003.
The Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan (SCRP) was recently approved by MGB Region 7 director Engr. William Conado.
Conado said that upon review and evaluation of the closure plan, MGB-7 found the proposal consistent with the requirements of the closure and rehabilitation of open and controlled dumpsites based on DENR department administrative order No. 2006-09.
Part of the SCRP, which was approved by the city council, is the opening of a new sanitary landfill in the identified three-hectare lot in Barangay Candau-ay.
In lieu of the directive from MGB-7, Remollo on Monday said closure of the present dumpsite is now ongoing alongside the opening of a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and the Sanitary Land Fill (SLF) in the identified site.
While the process for the construction of the SLF is going on, Remollo’s plan is to gradually close the present dumpsite in Candau-ay, while also making arrangements with the local government unit of Bayawan to temporarily dump the city’s residual wastes there.
The mayor said Bayawan City, more than 100 kilometers away from Dumaguete, is expected to reduce residual wastes by about 25 tons or two trucks a day, and it will only pay the tipping fee with proper segregation.
Remollo said the city is eyeing the purchase of adjacent lots to make it multipurpose to enable it accommodate the MRF, a recycling plant, including the motor pool of the city engineer’s office for newly-purchased heavy equipment, as well as impounded motor vehicles.
It will be fully enclosed with a concrete fence and to be planted with trees as buffer zone to address the concerns of flooding in the area, he added.
Remollo said the city is also eyeing the 1.5-hectare lot of the Little Children of the Philippines, which is planted with mangoes and coconut trees that will serve as a buffer zone.
“The term may not be ideal or may not be appropriate does not mean that it is not allowed,” Remollo explained in response to questions regarding the legality of pursuing the SLF in the area.
He said concerns for flooding can be addressed with engineering interventions. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
