MANILA, Aug. 11 — An official of the Quezon City Environment Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) on Friday urged the city’s residents to practice the “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” waste segregation system in their households, following the recent temporary closure of the Payatas sanitary landfill.
“We are appealing to the residents of Quezon City na i-manage ang basura nila at mag-segregate, para mabawasan ang basurang itatapon. Practice the 3Rs para matulungan ang gobyerno. Not only during this period of crisis, ituloy-tuloy naman nila. Kasi hindi pwedeng gobyerno lang ang mag-act, dapat ang mga constituents din,” EPWMD head, Frederika Rentoy, said in a news release.
(“We are appealing to the residents of Quezon City to manage their trash by segregating them so as to reduce the waste that they throw away. They should practice the 3Rs to help the government, not only during this period of crisis but continuously. All constituents, and not only the government, should act,” said Rentoy.)
She assured that while there are delays in the collection of trash in some parts of the city, a solution will soon be hammered out and that the city’s sanitation will be maintained.
“Pinag-aaralan namin kung magdagdag pa ng dump trucks. Pero unti-unti, the contractors are re-fleeting para ma-service yung mga tao sa barangay. Base sa aming monitoring, ang collection ng basura sa main roads ay 100 percent, mga barangays 82 percent, stationary (markets, schools) 62 percent,” she added.
(“We are considering if we need to add dump trucks. But gradually, our contractors are re-fleeting so they could service the barangays. Based on our monitoring, trash collection along the main roads is met 100 percent, in the barangays 82 percent, markets and schools 62 percent,” she added.)
Quezon City deploys about 550 dump trucks around the city every day.
Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has instructed the city’s EPWMD to come up with terms of reference necessary to determine which of the alternative disposal sites offered to Quezon City would be the most appropriate in addressing the city’s garbage needs.
Bautista asked the EPWMD to study seriously which of these sites is the most cost-efficient, as the city would need a bigger budget for hauling services once the city’s disposal facility has been moved elsewhere.
At present, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has designated the Rodriguez Provincial Sanitary Landfill and the Vitas Marine Loading Station in Manila as alternative disposal sites for Quezon City’s garbage.
Rentoy said that allowing the re-opening of Quezon City’s controlled disposal facility in Payatas is necessary to give the city government ample time to prepare for the new garbage disposal and collection system once the closure plan has been finalized.
She said preparations will include budget deliberation since the city government needs a bigger budget for hauling services.
“It is necessary that a considerable amount of time should be provided by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) since the city council still has to deliberate on the supplemental budget that is needed for the city government to implement the plan,” Rentoy said.
Based on EPWMD records, the city government spends about PHP780 million annually for hauling services to Payatas.
According to Rentoy, the hauling cost could reach PHP1.7 billion should the city’s disposal facility be moved to Rizal province and Manila.
She further said that it is also imperative to look into the readiness of the garbage disposal facilities that are being offered to Quezon City.
Rentoy said all alternative sites offered to QC also demand a longer route for the city’s garbage trucks.
Considering that a new contract will be entered into by the city government with a new hauling service provider, Rentoy stressed the need to check on the capability of a big hauling fleet since all alternative sites offered to Quezon City also demand suitable trucks for long haul. (QC PAOSI PR)
