Garbage trucks barred from entering Brgy. Felisa dumpsite
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Monico
O. Puentebella, (in blue t-shirt) joins the
Brgy. Felisa residents in blocking the
entry of garbage trucks.
BACOLOD CITY – Dumptrucks carrying tons of garbage collected from all over this city failed to enter Brgy. Felisa, where the city's dumpsite is located, yesterday after residents blocked the road going to the dumpsite.
The residents stayed on the streets, had their lunch there and braved the scorching heat of the sun with their placards, to strongly send a message to the city government that they no longer want their barangay to become host of the dumpsite even if it will be made into a sanitary landfill.
The residents claimed that the agreement allowing the city from using the dumpsite in Brgy. Felisa has already expired since January 2008.
Atty. Sonny Petierre went to the area to negotiate with the residents. He told them that what they are doing is unlawful and the proper thing to do is to avail of legal remedies.
But Petierre's appeal was merely ignored by the residents.
Brgy. Felisa residents block the garbage
trucks from entering their barangay.
"The city wants us to observe the legal procedure in stopping the use of the dumpsite, but what about them? Did they observe what's legal with the present state of the dumpsite?" a resident asked.
Kagawad Sunny Barcenal of Brgy Felisa said, "We will help the city find a solution. We will give them one month to look for another site for the dumpsite because we don't want the dumpsite here anymore. Let them find another route to reach the dumpsite but not in the barangay proper. But those conditions should be put on paper and signed by all including the City Mayor," he said.
Kagawad Ma. Fe Tresfuentes added the city should accept that there is a problem and that problem is real.
"The city has not shown sincerity to the people. We don't want to hear promises, but answers, solutions," Tresfuentes said.
Nona Toledo Adams, a resident, said Felisa is a retirement village. "It's peaceful and very nice to live. But when the city started to dump the garbage here, it has affected the way of life of the people here. We were deprived to breathe fresh air. Our appetite was affected because of the bad smell from the dump trucks passing to and from the dump site. We have allowed the city to dump here for three years. But such agreement was over since January 2008," Adams said.
Until after lunch, they have not yet agreed on what to do to best address the clamors of the residents of Brgy. Felisa.
The residents wanted the City Mayor to come and talk to them.
They asked Atty. Petierre to ask the Mayor to come and face the problem.
But Atty. Petierre said that he came as an employee of the city and not as a representative of the City Mayor and "I have no authority to decide on your suggested solution."
A resident said, "If you don't have an authority, why did you come here?"
Petierre said, "let the DENR enforce the safe and closure order, but not you people because you don't have the right to do it."
Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella also came help negotiate with the people. He said residents of Brgy. Felisa sought his help after the dumptrucks insisted on entering their village despite their objection.
This came after the attempt by the city to forcibly insist the entry of the dump trucks despite the people were strongly opposing it.
"What they're (city officials) doing is no longer right. We just want them to respect us," Punong Barangay Perigrino Aspan said.