Major river systems getting alarmingly polluted: DILG slams execs for not solving trash woes

BAGUIO CITY – The Cordillera office of the Department of Interior and the Local Government here slammed local governments in the region for their inability and inaction in solving garbage problems in their areas through establishment of controlled dump facilities or engineered sanitary landfills.

Worst, key areas in the region, particularly the urban centers, are the ones compounding the worsening garbage woes in the region, thus unabated dumping of solid waste by households in waterways had contributed to pollution of major river systems.

Patrick Unos, DILG regional director said Baguio, Bontoc, Tabuk and Lagawe greatly contributed largely to the garbage crisis in major river systems in Northern Luzon, thus, the need for local governments to incorporate climate change and disaster risk reduction measures in planning future projects in order to address such problems.

During a recent forum on climate change adoptability and disaster risk reduction, the DILG official admitted highly urbanized areas produce the biggest volume of waste which contribute to the worsening air, water and land pollution.

According to him, the waste around the Chico River being willfully dumped by residents in surrounding communities of Mountain Province down to Kalinga compounded garbage woes of the whole region.

Furthermore, he added compounding the garbage problem was lack of waste management plans in the region which made waste segregation per household still a dream.

The Regional Development Council in the Cordillera is trying to make appropriate moves to mandate local governments to fulfill the provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003.

The RDC wants local governments to integrate more funding for solid waste disposal in their respective budgets, thus, the Department of Budget and Management in the cordillera was directed to check the compliance of local officials on the said mandate.

The region’s policy-making body believes part of the mitigating measures in climate change adaptation is proper waste disposal which must be inculcated to the grassroots level for better understanding and appreciation.

Despite the existence of several warnings from concerned national government agencies on their compliance to the implementation of the solid waste management laws, the RDC cited poor compliance of local governments in introducing reforms to traditional solid waste management practices which is rampantly contributing to the worsening state of the environment in the region.

It was found out only three local governments in the region have established their own sanitary landfill or controlled dump facilities to cater to the growing garbage being generated in the different local governments.

The existing sanitary landfill includes those found in La Trinidad, Benguet, Bangued, Abra and Alfonso, Lista in Ifugao. -- Dexter A. See