Semirara folk poised to put up barricades to stop garbage trucks

SEMIRARA ISLAND, Caluya, Antique — Residents of this island are up in arms against attempts to dump tons and tons of garbage from Metro Manila in their community.

The islanders were poised to put up barricades to disallow the passage of dump trucks loaded with stinking trash from the big city.

The dump trucks, owned by David M. Consunji Inc. (DMCI), were ferried to Semirara by three barges, two of them coming from Manila and one from Batangas City.

The unwelcome cargo was supposed to be dumped at the Panian Pit, about eight kilometers north of the Semirara wharf.

While the barges were held at bay some 200 meters from the port, the third barge was able to discharge seven dump trucks loaded with heavy equipment.

The dump trucks were driven in a convoy to the Libak Village built by DMCI for its employees.

Caluya Vice Mayor Diosdado Egina said the two barges have moved a bit farther out to the sea after unloading the trucks.

Egina surmised that the barges will wait for the expiration of a temporary restraining order on Jan. 18 before they unload their cargo at the pit.

Egina added, however, that the barges may be forced to get rid of its controversial cargo right at the Semirara waterfront because of strong winds prevailing at the Panian Pit.

He also said the proposed dumpsite at Panian is "not yet ready" to accept garbage.

Reynante Lim, chairman of Barangay Semirara, said that under DMCI’s plan, the garbage will be dumped near the slope of a mountain about two kilometers from an existing coal mine pit.

The local residents staged a vigil the other day, with a bonfire that burned throughout the night.

Francis Gideon Javier, son of slain former Antique Gov. Evelio Javier, urged journalists to maintain their support for the people’s crusade against the planned massive dumping of garbage from Metro Manila in their locality.

"We fear that if the media people leave the place, violence may arise between the militant residents and the DMCI workers," he said.

Lim said of the original 28 hectares eyed for the dumpsite, the area was reduced to 24 hectares, two hectares of which will be initially utilized while the rest are being developed.

Lim revealed that the DMCI, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and R-II Builder have signed an agreement with him, stating that Semirara would be paid P15 for every ton of garbage dumped in the area.

At an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons of trash to be dumped daily in Semirara, Lim said his barangay stands to earn at least P1 million a month which they could use for development projects.

Lim said the proposed dump-site is an open field.