EMB orders closure of open dumps in Pampanga

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines - The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has ordered the closure of all open dumps in two cities and 14 towns in this province.

The EMB ordered the dumps closed upon the instruction of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje amid the lack of a sanitary landfill in the province.

So far, only the landfill in Kalangintan, Capas, Tarlac, which is using German technology, is the nearest alternative for this province’s wastes.

The EMB formally issued the closure order on open dumps in the cities of San Fernando and Angeles and the towns of Arayat, Floridablanca, Guagua, Mabalacat, Macabebe, Magalang, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, Porac, San Luis, Sasmuan, Sta. Ana and Sto. Tomas.

Ricardo Calderon, regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the two cities and 14 towns have failed to comply with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act which bans open dumps.

Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, however, denied that an open dump remains operational in his city.

“The DENR-EMB could not have issued any closure order to any Angeles dump because there’s none in the first place. We no longer have one in the city as what we have here is a transfer station or a material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Pampang,” Pamintuan said.

After waste segregation at the MRF, Pamintuan said garbage is transported to the sanitary landfill in E. Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), Rizal.

Barangay Balibago chairman Tony Mamac also insisted that his area, which is one of the most populated in this city, has no open dump and that garbage could only be found across this city’s boundary in Barangay Duquit, Mabalacat town.

Provincial board member Nestor Tolentino yesterday called on local government units and concerned stakeholders to focus on solving the waste disposal problem in the province.

Tolentino, who chairs the provincial board’s committee on environment, lamented the “finger-pointing” among local government officials on the sources of pollution in their respective towns.

Mabalacat Mayor Annette Balgan earlier said heavy pollution of waterways in her town comes from the City of San Fernando, an allegation belied by its mayor, Oscar Rodriguez, who in turn blamed Angeles City. 

Pamintuan, however, argued that San Fernando hosts big firms that could have caused the pollution in Macabebe town.

Tolentino said he would soon call for a meeting with municipal officials to tackle the garbage problem. Some towns reportedly lack funds to utilize the sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac.