MORE NEWS, BENGUET

Trinidad execs legalize sale of chicken manure despite folks’ gripes of foul odor

By Dexter A. See
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Despite opposition by affected residents in barangays here, the municipal council approved an ordinance governing and regulating the sale of dried chicken manure.

The approval of the controversial chicken dung trade in this capital town has triggered business rivalry between La Trinidad and nearby Tublay town over the sale of the supposedly nuisance product.

Chicken dung, widely used as fertilizer in this vegetable-producing province, has caused inconvenience to thousands of residents due to its obnoxious odor.

Residents of Barangay Shilan where the municipal government plans to sell the chicken dung have aired vehement opposition to the council’s action of approving the ordinance, saying the councilors were blinded by the fact that they suffered in the past because of the foul odor.

In passing the ordinance, the council cited the demand of farmers for the sale of the product in this town because it is convenient to them.

La Trinidad town officials said the consensus was that the community would benefit from the chicken dung trade.

But the affected residents disputed the claim, saying the passage of the ordinance was not subjected to public consultation.

Under the ordinance, warehouses selling the product are required to have permanent roof and walls to prevent the foul odor from polluting the surroundings.

The ordinance also requires that trucks carrying chicken dung from the low land are allowed entry in the town only between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

The ordinance imposes a P1 fee for every sack of chicken manure sold in the town.

The fee to be collected by the town is similar to the fee being collected by the Tublay municipal government.

The measure provides that the amount to be collected would be used partly to fund projects aimed at enhancing the quality of chicken dung as fertilizer as well as minimizing its annoying effects.

The ordinance standardizes the weight of chicken dung per sack at 50 kilos each, and sacks exceeding the weight limit would be charged additional fee by the municipal government.

Earlier, the municipal government drove away chicken dung dealers in Shilan because of the persistent complaint by the residents about the obnoxious odor which, they said, poses risk to their health.

This action prompted the municipal government of Tublay to pass an ordinance welcoming the chicken dung trade in the municipality and providing guidelines to ensure the safety of the people and the environment.