Bontoc exec tells gov’t officials: Cooperate in garbage management

By Andrew Doga-ong

BONTOC, Mountain Province – With worsening problem of waste disposal in this capital town, local officials urged anew government offices to cooperate in  its garbage management drives. 

Erlinda Bucaycay, barangay captain of Bontoc Poblacion, said addressing the garbage problem and waste management of the town requires the involvement of everybody not only the local government units of Bontoc.

Attending a regular Monday program at the Provincial Capitol here, Bucaycay asked government employees to cooperate in waste management programs by simply segregating their office waste for easier collection by the town’s  garbage collectors.

Bucaycay said garbage collectors complained of mixed waste coming from  offices  at the provincial capitol  naming three key offices who she said should take the lead  in observing the basics of waste management including waste segregation.

The barangay chieftain said waste collectors left seven cellophane sacks of mixed waste generated from offices of the provincial government adding that said waste will only be collected when fully segregated as required in the waste collection procedures.

Faced with worsening garbage problem following the Court of Appeals decision closing the town’s open dumpsite effective August 22 last year, the town officials came up with various waste management measures including local ordinances.

Upon assuming office in July, Bontoc mayor Franklin Odsey, reorganized the Municipal Solid Waste Management Board to oversee the waste management programs of the municipality. Odsey, earlier urged all sectors in the central-town to do their part in addressing the garbage problem by practicing the basics of waste management such as re-use, reduce and recycle as well as waste segregation in their  houses, offices or establishments.

The town mayor also urged households, business establishments and schools to have their own compost pits for their biodegradable wastes which garbage collectors said accounts for more than 50 percent of the garbage collected.

Bucaycay, whose barangay hosts most of the national and provincial government offices, in an interview said they will be issuing citation tickets to the heads of offices who will repeatedly violate the waste management ordinances and procedures particularly on the strict waste segregation at source.