NGO sues brgys over Solidwaste Act

CEBU, Philippines - An environmental group has started suing after barangays that continue to fail in enforcing Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law.

Barangay Apas got a notice to sue from the Philippine Earth Justice Center Inc. (PEJCI), which vows to sue all barangays that will continue to violate the waste management law.

Lawyer Atty. Gloria Estenzo-Ramos said they are focusing on Cebu City because of the timely closure of the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, giving the barangays all the more reason to enforce segregation.

It would not only be Apas, as PEJCI will be sending one notice to sue per week. They pick the barangays through the tambiolo system.

Ramos said that just like other barangays, Apas is slow in its efforts to improve waste management. Among violations they noted include littering, throwing and dumping of waste matters in public places or permitting these.

Barangay Apas is given 10 days upon receipt to reply and 30 days to comply with the requirements of the law. Failure to do something about it will make them face charges in courts.

Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman admitted over GMA-7 Balitang Bisdak they are having a problem disciplining the people as many still refuse to follow the schedule of collection. He welcomes the notice to sue, seeing it as a constructive effort.

A consultant of Mayor Michael Rama proposed a program to improve segregation while uplifting the lives of the 600 scavengers who lost their jobs when the landfill closed last April 1.

Lawyer Janeses Ponce said the scavengers could play the role of garbage collectors in each household for a fee of P5.00 per household. They will collect, segregate and deposit the collected waste at the barangay’s designated collection station.

Through this, households will not have to segregate their garbage and the scavengers will have a regular income. —(FREEMAN)