Pasig to probe sewage treatment plant over foul smell

MANILA, Philippines - The Pasig City government of Pasig is set to investigate complaints about a foul odor allegedly coming from a sewage treatment plant in Barangay Pineda.

Raquel Naciongayo, who heads the city’s environment and natural resources department, said “they will look into the problem and solve it for the benefit of the residents” of Purok 2 Libis, a neighborhood beside the plant.

Residents identified “JFE” as a firm that constructed the plant last year, allegedly as part of the Manila Water Company Inc.’s government-granted mandate to put up wastewater treatment plants all over its concession areas in Metro Manila.

Tess Valino, a resident said “there are times when we wonder where that foul smell comes from. When we ask the people at the plant, they tell us they’re just starting to operate the plant and that they just need to put chlorine in the plant so it can be free from the stink.”

She also said some time ago, water from the treatment plant overflowed and flooded the area with foul-smelling water.

“Many of my neighbors who reside at the back of the plant complained with the plant engineer and then with (the barangay chairman). But instead of solving the problem, the (plant) employees told us that if we keep on complaining, we might one day be driven away from our place,” Valino said. Some of the residents only hold rights over the land they are occupying.

Aside from Valino, other complainants are residents Rogelio Santos and his wife, Linda; Tete Salvador; and Ronnie Abella.

Barangay officials called the attention of the contractor regarding the foul odor but nothing has been done yet.