4 November 2022
To prevent severe flooding caused by blocked drainages and clogged waterways this typhoon season, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) urged barangay functionaries to practice waste diversion and reduction and to implement these practices at the household level.
Under Davao City’s Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009, the barangay is obligated to establish a materials recovery facility wherein waste is segregated either to be recycled by the barangay or turned over to the CENRO for disposal to the city landfills.
Under the ordinance, only residual and special waste are to be collected by CENRO while the rest are segregated for composting or recycling.
All 182 barangays in the city are mandated to divert waste from the landfills by recovering recyclable materials or composting biodegradables.
CENRO Information Education Campaign Unit Focal Person Orly Limpangog, during a Davao City Disaster Radio program on Friday, said less than 40 barangays practice waste reduction and diversion religiously.
Composting in every household has a legal basis under the ordinance, Limpanog said, but its implementation is lacking on the part of barangay councils, despite CENRO’s information and education campaigns since 2009.
“Gina-mandate man pud atong mga household na naa sila’y household composting, pati pud sa barangay gina-encourage pud sa balaod na naa pu’y barangay composting. Apil pud dinha atong mga business establishments nga naa pud silay establishment composting (Our households are mandated to practice household composting; the barangays are also encouraged by law to practice barangay composting. This includes business establishment to have establishment composting),” said Limpangog.
“Sa downtown area, Barangay 1 to 14, na-encourage na gyud nato, naa na gani sila’y mga recyclable storage box diha sa ilang mga kabarangayanan para makatabang ang constituents or households na didto ibutang ilang mga recyclable materials (In the downtown area, we have persuaded barangays 1 to 14. They now have their own recyclable storage box where constituents or households can put their recyclable materials),” he added.
Only a handful of barangays have established their own materials recovery facility due to either lack of space or lack of funds.
Limpangog said that with an efficient waste collection and management system, the barangay can generate income that can fund further waste management and sustainability programs.
This can be done through the barangay’s full implementation of the “household garbage fee.” They may also collect fines for violations stipulated under the waste management ordinance. Half of the collected fees and fines will be kept by the barangay while the other half will go to the city.
“Sa bagong ordinance, naa na sa 50 pesos ang bayran dapat sa matag panimalay. At the same time, kung magdakop pud si barangay, 50 percent gihapon ang makuha sa barangay. Ang penalty nato karon kay naa sa P500 ang first offense (Under the new ordinance, each household will have to pay P50. At the same time, if the barangay will charge violators, 50 per cent of that will go to the barangay. Our penalty now is at P500 for the first offense),” Limpangog said.
As the city’s landfills approach full capacity and weather patterns becoming more unpredictable, Limpangog said the implementation of the ordinance needs to be heightened all throughout the city. CIO
