CEBU, Philippines - The 15-hectare sanitary landfill in Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City, was formally reopened yesterday after the city complied with all the requirements set by the Environmental Management Bureau-7 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“It was approved by EMB then mihatag na’g go signal namo, wala na sila’y objections sa among pag-open because we submitted already our commitment and directions sa pag-open sa landfill,” said outgoing councilor and committee on environment chairwoman Nida Cabrera during an interview.
Acting Cebu City mayor Margarita Osmeña the other day signed a commitment on city’s solid waste management and sent it to Engineer William Cuñado, EMB-7 regional director.
“I am submitting herewith the commitments of the Cebu City Government for the establishment of a new solid waste management system pursuant to the mandate under Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” the commitment read.
The commitment also states that there is a conceptual master plan for the landfill, and plans to establish a Materials Recovery Facility, as well as to create a Multi-Partite Monitoring Team.
Last June 22, Cabrera went to the office of Osmeña to form the MMT to monitor the dumping of garbage in the landfill. She said that the MMT is composed of five to six personnel coming from the Department of Public Services, public sectors, and the local government unit.
Part of their new system is the strict enforcement and monitoring of the No Segregation, No Collection Policy.
Cabrera said that Osmeña already signed a memorandum to notify all the barangays about the policy.
Garbage must be segregated as biodegradable, non-biodegradable, residual waste (diapers, napkins), special waste (flashlight batteries, paint) and plastics.
The collection of biodegradables is on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; non-biodegradables are collected every afternoon of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
Residual waste is collected every morning of Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday; special waste is collected on Wednesday afternoon and plastics are collected every Saturday.
Yesterday was also the last time the city dumped its garbage in a privately-owned sanitary landfill in the municipality of Consolacion. Since the Inayawan Landfill was closed last January 15, 2015, the city government started to dispose of its daily solid waste in Consolacion which is 27 kilometers away from the city. (FREEMAN)