• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) conducted water quality inspection of waterways around the Bacolod sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.
EMB Negros Island Regional director Vicente Losbañes said July 12 that water samples were collected from three monitoring points along midstream, downstream, and upstream in the boundary of Murcia.
“There are no results yet; it will take seven to 15 days (to find out),” Losbañes said.
The climate advocacy group Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) served as a third-party observer alongside barangay officials, community members, and Parent-Teacher Association representatives during the inspection.
“For years, the people of Barangay Felisa have lived with the foul odor from the city’s sanitary landfill. They have raised concerns about its impact on their daily lives, nearby schools, and the condition of surrounding waterways,” NICE said.
Losbañes clarified that the foul smell is a local government unit concern. | TMD
