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[av_heading heading=’Wanted: Model LGUs in waste mgt’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading]
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ILOILO City – The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) plans to make six local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas as “pilot model LGUs” in the strict implementation of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act.
Financial assistance would be released to these LGUs, according to EMB-6 Solid Waste Management Section chief Vicente Losbañes.
He bared the proposal during the recent Regional Ecology Center (REC) meeting here.
Only 30 percent of LGUs in Western Visayas complied with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act that prohibits open dumpsites, according to the EMB last year.
Western Visayas has 98 local government units – five cities and 95 municipalities in five provinces.
“A resolution endorsing the project proposal to the EMB Central Office is already being crafted,” said Losbañes.
One LGU will be identified from each of the six provinces in Western Visayas.
The identified LGU for the establishment of the Eco SWM Center could be non-compliant of RA 9003 or a compliant LGU but whose implementation of the law is not fully established.
RA 9003’s Section 10 states that pursuant to the relevant provisions of RA 7160 (Local Government Code), the LGUs shall be primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the Act within their respective jurisdictions.
Under the law, all open and controlled dumpsites should be closed and instead, sanitary landfills should have been established.
All LGUs should also have a solid waste management plan, which should be submitted to and approved by National Solid Waste Management Commission.
The law also mandates the mandatory segregation of waste at source and a “no segregation, no collection” policy.
Last year, the Solid Waste Management Section of EMB Region 6 endorsed to the National Solid Waste Management Commission for further validation 15 LGUs maintaining open dumpsites in violation of RA 9003’s Article 1, Section 17.
Open dumps are disposal areas wherein solid wastes are indiscriminately thrown or disposed of without due planning and consideration for environmental and health standards.
Among these LGUs were the municipalities of Kalibo in the province of Aklan; Roxas City, Panit-an, Mambusao and Pontevedra in Capiz province, and Calinog and Passi City in Iloilo. (PIA-Iloilo/PN)
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