Partnership between City and barangays much needed
BACOLOD CITY -- DENR Assistant Secretary and Solid Waste Management Commission Executive Director Jerry Calderon said that partnership between the city and the barangays is much needed to fast track the solution on the solid waste management concerns of Bacolod City.
He was instructed by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza to assess and work with the city in finding solutions to the problems at hand.
Leonardia and Calderon last week met the barangay officials at the ABC hall to discuss matters that will help solve the problem of the city on the solid waste management.
Calderon said, "we need a strong partnership with the barangays because we need to reduce the volume of garbage at source. I also came here to verify the recommendation of DENR Regional Director (Bienvenido) Lipayon."
He said that there is a need to sit down and do some technical meeting to help the city and its people on their problem which will possibly replicate the best practices of San Carlos, Bais and San Pedro, Laguna.
There are areas outside of Bacolod such as Biñas, Los Baños, San Pedro and City of Muntinlupa that are hosting the residual wastes.
"The purpose of my visit here is to educate and ask the support of our people. This is not only the problem of Bacolod but also by the 900 LGUs in the country," Calderon stressed.
He added, "we need a big and wide scope of understanding on the part of our community when it comes to garbage and dumpsite."
He cited San Carlos City Eco-Center which has composting area and now has a sanitary landfill, material recovery facility, formation and training center and infrastructure support on water waste sewerage system.
As to the cost of establishing a sanitary land fill, he said, there is a need for a re-assessment on how much it will cost. "Let's say P20 million. But we can do a gradual improvement of the facility," Calderon said.
There is also a need for the city and the host barangay to discuss about the benefits it will get from hosting the dumpsite.
"Ask for more services than do some negative actions. Sit down and talk about the benefits. The secret there is the good housekeeping, just like managing a golf course," he said.
"Regardless of political affiliation, we need a commonality on this matter," he added.