My batchmate from La Consolacion College (LCC) Bacolod, Ben Gonzales, has recently been highlighted in local media for his resolute campaign against Barangay Villamonte’s practice of depositing garbage near the entrance of their residential subdivision. Serving as President of the Homeowners’ Association (HOA), Ben initially dispatched several formal letters to barangay officials, urging immediate cessation of this unsanitary activity. Regrettably, these appeals went unheeded, prompting him to erect a prominent tarpaulin banner publicly imploring authorities not to transform their community into an unauthorized dumpsite.
For many, commissioning such a large tarpaulin would entail significant expense but for Ben, proprietor of one of Bacolod’s premier advertising supply firms, it incurred negligible cost. This proactive measure exemplifies civic duty, compelling unresponsive officials to prioritize residents’ welfare. One earnestly hopes for swift resolution, lest similar banners proliferate across Bacolod, signaling a broader failure in local governance.
Such garbage predicaments transcend Bacolod, afflicting municipalities nationwide. In Bacoor, Cavite, our educational community was dismayed to learn of the city government’s imposition of a P30,000 supplemental fee atop standard business permits, designated for waste collection services. While larger private institutions might weather this burden, it proves onerous for modest schools with limited enrollment and tuition rates a mere fraction of their counterparts.
Governments undoubtedly require augmented revenues to enhance service delivery, yet policies warrant meticulous feasibility studies to ensure equitable application. The Bacoor City Organization of Private School Presidents, under the leadership of Dr. Ruther Esconde, has formally represented stakeholders through written correspondence and constructive dialogues with City Hall officials.
The lingering scars of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate vulnerabilities where, in Molino 6 alone, three schools shuttered permanently, while survivors navigate razor-thin margins. This arbitrary levy risks precipitating further closures or compelled tuition escalations, imperiling educational access for underprivileged families.
Garbage management constitutes a universal challenge, not confined to mayoral purview but shared by every citizen on Earth. Global statistics from the World Bank reveal approximately 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste generated annually, projected to swell by 70% by 2050 absent intervention. Progressive nations have alchemized refuse into resources—Sweden derives 20% of district heating from waste-to-energy plants; Japan recycles 84% of plastics into viable products; while innovative firms in the Netherlands convert landfill-bound materials into construction aggregates.
Conversely, the Philippines grapples persistently, with segregation initiatives yielding marginal results, as evidenced by persistent collection bottlenecks reported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). During my tenure in the medical sector, our firm deployed advanced garbage thrashers that reduced medical waste volume by 50%, sterilizing and repurposing it efficiently. Local governments could subsidize such units for barangays, instituting nominal resident fees to sustain operations profitably.
Bacoor’s ascension to cityhood under the Revilla administration heralded infrastructure leaps and economic vitality, yet it concomitant higher land and business taxes. Commendable advancements notwithstanding, sustainable livability demands strategic foresight. Integrating waste solutions into existing tax frameworks, eschewing ad-hoc fees. By prioritizing small enterprises like schools, sari-sari stores, and micro-businesses, officials can foster enduring prosperity.
Bacoor has traversed remarkable strides. May its leaders perpetuate this trajectory, harnessing innovation to vanquish garbage, not burden its populace.
The effect of increase in rates of garbage collection may need to be reviewed wherein it may lead to more school closures in the future due to additional losses not from reduction of enrollees but rising cost for sustaining service oriented business. The city government should be able to protect smaller schools which has been the resident’s option to overcrowded free elementary education or the expensive private school. The continued losses might eventually lead to more small schools closure. This will leave the residents with limited choices – sending their children to huge but expensive schools or bear the overcrowded public schools. ||
