Dumping garbage at SRP
IJOINED the team of doctors, nurses and volunteers that conducted an outreach program (medical, surgical, dental and optical) in Barangay Cantao-an, City of Naga yesterday. The event was a joint undertaking of dySS Super Radyo and dyRT-FM of Radyo GMA (RGMA) Cebu and Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation (KKMKF). Cantao-an is a mountain barangay. It is located about four kilometers portion from the highway in Barangay Inayagan. More than 300 residents availed themselves of the outreach project, most of them were elderly seeking medical help. There were a few kids who were circumcised as part of Operation Tuli.
KKMKF provided the manpower like nurses and doctors while RGMA provided logistical and financial support. The barangay council headed by Barangay Captain Apolonia Natad took care of the provisions for KKMKF’s medical personnel and volunteers. Daghan intawong mga pobreng lomolopyo sa maong barangay ang nakabenipisyo sa maong kalihukan.
RGMA news and public affairs personnel also consulted residents about their problems in the community, hoping we could bring these to the attention of the proper agencies and authorities. One issue that they brought up is the stench allegedly caused by the operation of Fresh Cut, a chicken dressing plant in one of the sitios in Cantao-an. According to residents who live nearby, they can smell the foul odor 24/7. They already signed a petition addressed to the city health officer, but it has yet to be acted upon. I hope Mayor Christine Ong and the city health officer can send inspectors to verify the complaint of the residents.
Late in the afternoon, RGMA personnel proceeded to the Naga baywalk where we had lunch. It’s a good place for family bonding and physical activities, especially in the early morning and during sunset. There are food stalls and coffeeshops in the area. Prices are very reasonable. The ambiance is quite good and you can breathe fresh sea air. Please try to visit the place. You will really enjoy it.
*** If you are caught throwing a cigarette butt or a candy wrapper by the Cebu Sanitation and Environmental Team (Ceset) or by barangay environmental officers (BEO) you will be issued a citation ticket as a penalty. That’s how strict our City is in the implementation and enforcement of health and sanitation ordinances. Now, if you are fined for just throwing your “little trash,” why won’t the Ceset teams and BEOs enforce the same policy to the personnel of the Department of Public Services (DPS), who are dumping truckloads of garbage at the South Road Properties (SRP)?
When the news came out that the Court of Appeals (CA) 19th division ruled favoring the writ of kalikasan filed by Councilor Joel Garganera against the “former political hasbeen,” and ordered the City Government to stop dumping garbage at the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill, DPS personnel started dumping the garbage they collected in a “transfer station” at the SRP.
Retired Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge Simeon Dumdum said that what the City Government is doing is a clear violation of the law, citing Section 37 of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2003, which prohibits the use of an open dump site for solid waste. But the “former political has-been” argued that it’s only a “temporary transfer station.”
Okay, so it’s temporary but until when? I have learned that City Hall will still tap a service provider to haul the voluminous garbage dumped by DPS personnel there and bring it to a permanent landfill. And where is the “final destination’ of the garbage when City Hall is still looking for a sanitary landfill? The “former political has-been” refused to continue dumping the city’s garbage in the private landfill in Consolacion tapped by “has-been” mayor Michael Rama, claiming the agreement was “highly anomalous.”
Hangtod kanus-a man nang transfer station diha sa SRP? Hangtod mangalata na diha ug mosamot ug kabaho kanang maong lugar? Well, this person has his personal agenda, which is to harass investors at the SRP for buying lots during the term of Rama and not on his own terms and condition. We will challenge Ceset and BEO personnel to position themselves at the SRP and issue citation tickets or possibly arrest DPS or barangay garbage personnel who will dump their garbage there. ‘Let’s see the scattered’ ( makitang katag).