THE TACLOBAN City landfill located in Barangay San Roque.
Tacloban appeals for stricter waste segregation with 1-year old landfill almost full THE TACLOBAN City government called on barangay officials to implement stricter waste segregation in their communities as the city’s sanitary landfill, which was opened just a year ago, is “about to reach its full capacity.” In a statement posted on the local government’s official social media page, City General Services Office (CGSO) Officer-in-Charge Leoncio Parado II said village leaders are at the forefront of garbage management. “They should conduct intensive monitoring… to ensure the participation of their constituents in the proper disposal of their wastes,” Mr. Parado said. “We already have this ordinance on Solid Waste Management (City Ordinance 2017-13-37), so I guess there’s no reason not to implement it in their respective barangays,” he added. The city government also stressed that under the ordinance, those caught “carelessly” disposing garbage face the following penalties: P300 or one day community service for the 1st offense; P1,000 or two-day community service on the second violation; and P3,000 and at least three days of community service for the third time. Meanwhile, the CGSO, City Engineers Office, and City Environment and Natural Resources Office have recently undertaken a joint garbage collection activity to collect piles of trash in different areas, which was aggravated by the onslaught of typhoon Ursula (international name: Phanfone) last December. “We should help one another in implementing waste segregation and maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings. Otherwise, our sanitary landfill will suffer once it reaches its capacity,” Mr. Parado said. At least 120 tons of trash is generated daily in the city, the regional center of Eastern Visayas.