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Nixed 2019 budget puts Laoag City dumpsite in ‘critical condition’

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By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—“Adda kamin iti critical a sitwasyonen, appo, ken adda pay tay makit-kita dan a kasla bimmantayen ket saan mi met nga mailibak ta ngumato met a ngumato gapu iti kaadu a basura nga inaldaw-aldaw ti intero a Laoag”. [We are now in a critical situation, and we cannot deny what the people can now see that the garbage has reached mountainous proportions due to the daily volume of trash from the whole city]

Laoag City government engineer Roy A. Tomas made this statement on the city’s controlled dumpsite—a holding area which the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment and Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) designated as temporary garbage dumping site and which has reached the maximum volume of garbage.

Mr. Tomas disclosed that the city’s monthlong fiesta last February and the hosting of the Region I Athletic Association (R1AA) meet generated tons of garbage for the temporary dumpsite.

He added that the continuous increase of business establishments and residential houses in the city have also strained the maximum capacity of the said dump site.

The city government has planned for this eventuality by allocating PHP10 million last year from the city’s development fund for the construction of a sanitary landfill; and PHP2 million more as supplemental budget for the City Engineering Office as advanced payment for the lots that will house the landfill at Brgy. Balatong in this city, also last year.

Additional funding for the sanitary landfill has also been earmarked for the 2019 annual budget: PHP5 million from the development fund and PHP10 million for the payment of all the lots that will house the landfill.

The disapproved 2019 budget at the Sangguniang Panlungsod, however, has put a hold on the project. As a result, the sanitary landfill that was planned to absorb the city’s garbage remains incomplete.

Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas confirmed Mr. Tomas’ statement with regards to the controlled dumpsite.

She said she believes the garbage at the site will soon reach the height of mountains.

The mayor stressed that they have allocated funding for the project starting in 2018 up to this year.

“Ngem saan tayo met pulos a makakuti-kuti uray adda diay kuarta. Siguro mauma pay ket dagiti tattaon nga agdengdengngen ngem isu met iti pudno a nakailanad idiay budget iti 2019 a maysa kadagiti primary tapnu ma-addressan iti solid waste management,” Mrs. Farinas noted.

Mrs. Fariñas though lauded the owners of the lot at Brgy. Balatong for understanding the city government’s current situation.

With a reenacted budget for this year, the payment for the landfill’s lots will only be given once a budget is passed and the council authorizes the mayor to represent the city in negotiating for the purchase.

Records show that the proposed sanitary landfill site at Brgy. Balatong covers six hectares and residents of the said barangay have agreed to host the said edifice.

The city government earlier also conducted a series of public hearings attended by several city government officials headed by Laoag Vice Mayor Franklin Dante A. Respicio, department heads, Brgy. Balatong officials and residents.

City government assessor Ruben Domingo said the proposed project was approved by the residents provided that all the rule and regulations from construction and maintenance will be strictly followed.

Mr. Domingo added that the public hearing made is one of the pre-requisites for the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and for the payment of the lots affected.

In an earlier interview, Mr. Domingo noted that lots near the streets costs around PHP200 per square meters, while the those away from streets has a rate of PHP190 per square meter.

The total cost for the lot acquisition for the landfill is PHP12 million.

The city government of Laoag through the Sangguniang Panlungsod earlier approved PHP2 million as partial allocation for the purchase of lot on the proposed Laoag City Sanitary Landfill.

The amount was unanimously approved by all members and was certified by the City Development Council (CDC).

A soil testing for said lots was also conducted and approved for use by the DENR-Mines Geosciences Bureau.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the closure of the present controlled dumpsite.

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