Due to Chico River pollution, Kalinga case: Mt Province officials to build trash site in a year

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province –Provincial and town officials here pledged to build a landfill within a year to replace the dump site located in upper Caluttitalong the Chico River which had been blamed as one of the causes of the river’s pollution.

This, after the demand of theKalinga Anti-Pollution Action Group (KAPAG) for Mountain Province officials to immediately stop dumping of trash along the Chico River during a mediation meeting held Feb. 1 here.

KAPAG filed a complaint seeking issuance of a writ of kalikasan at the Court of Appeals against said LGUs for their reported failure to stop dumping along the Chico River and non-implementation of sound waste management plans in accordance with RA 9003.

Mediated by Assistant Solicitor General Herman Cimafranca, a recent meeting of officials and counsels from KAPAG and officials of the province and Bontoc aimed to find a compromise agreement on said case and work out programs to keep the Chico River clean and its watershed vibrant.

Speaking on behalf of Bontoc LGU, counsel Asssanyster Patingan said the LGU’s final offer to build the landfill within a year, still lets PoblacionBontoc make use of the Caluttit dumpsite while practicing waste segregation pending land fill construction.

Bontoc Poblacion generates 2.4 tons of waste everyday at the Chico River hauled in two truckloads per day. Bio degradable waste is composted at Lengsad hill, a project of the Bontoc Market Vendors Association (BAMARVA) and the Provincial LGU’s waste management program. Said compositing was earlier done by the LGU of Bontoc with BAMARVA.

Provincial Administrator Johnny Co speaking in behalf of Gov. Leonard Mayaen said the province supports building of an access road to the identified site and support construction of the projected landfill.

The more or less one year wait targets the making of the program of work for the 2.5 kilometer access road, approval, bidding, awarding of the project followed by actual construction along with the building of the engineered sanitary landfill.

Patingan said constructing the land fill means better waste management rather than abrupt closing of the dump site leaving the community where to put waste not composted nor bought by junk dealers.

Mayor Pascual Sacgaca said a deed of sale has already been perfected between the Bontoc LGU and the owner of a 3 hectare lot located atop Falilingsitio as the projected site for a landfill to replace said dumpsite at Caluttit along the Chico River.

RA 9003 or the ecological solid waste management Act of 2000 prohibits open dumping of waste, a provision of the law which calls for the closure of all dump sites by 2006.

KAPAG chair Luis Aoas forwarding KAPAG’s non negotiable stand on the closure of the dump site said the dumping along the Chico River had been happening for years and that the previous administration had been promising to address the issue and would not want to listen to another promise again.

The case filed at the Court of Appeals October last year charges both LGUs for alleged indiscriminate dumping of waste along the Chico River polluting irrigation water that flows to vast rice fields of Tabuk and downstream Cagayan and Isabela.

A pre trial was done three weeks ago with the agreement of both parties for the holding of a mediation to possibly resolve the case without necessarily going through a full blown trial.

Following the mediation, Cimafranca said the results shall be submitted to the Court of Appeals on February 12 with both parties appearing for another hearing.

KAPAG also charged Secretary Ramon Paje and regional director Clarence Baguilat of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) being responsible for the enforcement of environmental laws and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-DENR officers for not exercising pollution prevention and control.

In same development, DENR findings noted that mercury from the direction of the Amlosong river coming from Fidelisan, Sagada and Mainit, BOntoc mines were found in water test findings along with lead and cadmium taken from the Chico River.