Lapu-Lapu City proposes plan to solve trash

CEBU, Philippines – The Lapu-Lapu City Solid Waste Management Board yesterday presented to the City Council the 10-year plan to address the city's problem on garbage.

City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Engineer Roderino Tagaan said the plan is designed to provide solution to the garbage problem, stressing the lack of cooperation from the people at the barangay level as one of the concerns they want to address.

According to Tagaan, barangays are tasked by the city government to collect garbage in their respective jurisdictions but for those barangays that encounter problems, Tagaan said the city government will assist them.

Under the plan presented by Tagaan, the city government through the council, shall allocate financial assistance to support low-income barangays for the establishment of barangays and clusters on barangay material recovery facility.

The procurement of garbage collection vehicle was also raised in the presentation.

Nineteen out of 30 barangays in Lapu-Lapu City are located in city's mainland, eight barangays are situated in Olango Island and three more are islet barangays such as Caubian, Pangan-an and Caohagan.

The city government, Tagaan said, already put up a material recovery facility for the barangays in Olango Island. No such facility has yet been built for any mainland barangay.

Tagaan further said part of the 10-year plan of the city is to put up a designated collection points in the barangays.

One of their recommendations is to come up cluster barangays where a material recovery facility could be instituted.

The City Council and members of the Solid Waste Management Board agreed to discuss next week the proposed 10-year plan, especially with respect to financial allocations.