To address the mounting daily volume of waste, the City Government of Davao is developing a newly-purchased lot beside the current sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District.
Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment and Natural Resources chairperson Councilor Tek Ocampo bared this during Monday’s (May ? Madayaw Davao program aired via 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
He said, “Ang atong syudad duna’y gipalit nga luna tapad ra pud didto sa atong dump site ron (The city government bought a land beside the current dump site). They are now developing it.”
Ocampo said the new facility will have storage for hazardous and infectious wastes, which the current sanitary landfill doesn’t have. Once it is completed and operational, he said it will help improve the city’s solid waste management considering that the city generates 700 to 800 tons of garbage per day. The volume increases up to 1,000 tons per day during special city activities, such as the Araw ng Dabaw and Kadayawan sa Dabaw.
Meanwhile, he also said the Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Summit proposal is awaiting the approval of the City Mayor’s Office.
He said the summit will convene barangay captains and barangay councilors who chair the committee on environment and natural resources of the 182 barangays, government agencies, private organizations, and establishments.
“This is to purposely discuss the city’s solid waste management program, including segregation, etc.,” he said. “The DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) is also making an inventory sa mga barangay na aktibo sa (of barangays active in) solid waste management.”
Ocampo said the law provides that government-owned lots should be used for solid waste management but the city’s poblacion area no longer has the space for it.
He said with the summit, stakeholders can come up with plans and solutions in improving the city’s solid waste management.
The first district councilor said concerned agencies and those in the private sector can also give their suggestions.
Ocampo said, “Kinahanglan magtinabangay ug mapasabot nato sa mga barangay unsa’y ilang role gyud noh (We need to work together and explain to the barangays what their role really is).”
The 2009 Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of Davao City mandates that all waste generators are required to sort their solid wastes at the source. The ordinance also requires the establishment of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in barangays.
But since not all barangays have MRFs, the first-term councilor said some barangays with their dump trucks schedule garbage collection and sorting while those in far-flung areas practice composting, which Barangay Mintal is known for. CIO
