Group dares GLACC on solid waste drive
BACOLOD CITY -- The Alyansa Kontra Basura (Alkoba) led by its convenor Milagros Casilagan recently gave its unsolicited advice to the Global Legal Action on Climate Change (GLACC) to make further investigation on the facts concerning Bacolod City's alleged plans to comply with the provisions of R.A. 9003 otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
GLACC and the City Government recently entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation to make this City a "Model City" for Solid Waste Management Program.
Casilagan informed the GLACC that the City of Bacolod has been operating an open dumpsite at Brgy. Felisa since 2005 and up to the present.
She claimed that they have documentary evidence to show that the 7 hectares parcel of land purchased by the City of Bacolod from the Dynasty Agriculture Corporation (DAC) is the site of the present open dumpsite, hence, the use of the same for a sanitary landfill is highly improbable, if not impossible.
She advised GLACC to dig deeper on these documents because even the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the DENR had already declared this site to be unsuitable for a sanitary landfill.
"The announcement made by GLACC surely makes them, wittingly or unwittingly, a partner of the City of Bacolod in deceiving the national government, the DENR and the general public into believing the City of Bacolod has the honest intention to comply, or is about to comply, with R.A. 9003. We strongly hope that GLACC would not allow itself to be taken for a ride by the solid waste managers of the City of Bacolod," Casilagan continued.
She also said that the much publicized plan of the City of Bacolod to close its open dumpsite on June 30 to give way to its establishment of a sanitary landfill is merely a deception -- an insidious ploy to make the national government, the DENR and the general public believe that it intends, and is determined, to comply with the provisions of R.A. 9003.
Earlier, Mayor Evelio Leonardia challenged the Alkoba to present their alternatives in solving the solid waste problem if they are sincere for this program. The local chief executives believed that Alkoba is only a political tool to criticize his administration on the Solid Waste Management aspect.