• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The proposal to allow Victorias City to dispose of its residual waste at the Bacolod City sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa has drawn mixed reactions from city officials and residents.
The proposal, per a draft memorandum of agreement (MOA), would permit Victorias to dump 30 cubic meters of residual waste per month in the city landfill for one year.
The proposed MOA is undergoing review by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committee on Laws, Ordinances, and Good Governance, after it was approved by the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB).
Councilor Al Victor Espino, committee chairperson, expressed support on the request, noting that the technical aspects of the plan are being handled by the SWMB.
Espino said his committee will convene for a briefing with the SWMB to address technical questions, including whether Victorias will be charged a tipping fee, as Bacolod currently lacks an enabling ordinance for such fees.
“Once the technical aspect is addressed…I will go for the endorsement and it is up to the SP to decide on the merits of the proposal,” he stressed.
“All of the comments are unfair. As a matter of fact, uneducated ang mga gahambal nga indi basurahan ang Bacolod, I hope that the constituents will be guided accordingly and the technical aspect should prevail,” Espino added.
At least 100 residents of Barangay Felisa have expressed opposition to the proposal during a community dialogue organized by the Sangguniang Kabataan, the Barangay Council, the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment, and the Zero Waste Alliance Negros.
During the forum July 5, residents raised concerns regarding long-standing environmental and health issues, including persistent foul odors and health risk, especially among children.
“For the council, now is the time for you to show that you can stand by the responsibility given to you by the citizens. We are expecting solutions for this to stop. As leaders, this is your responsibility,” one of the residents called on the SP.
A petition opposing both the Victorias request and a separate proposal for a waste-to-energy incineration facility in the area was also signed.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. also cautioned against the deal, stressing that legal compliance alone should not dictate city waste policy.
While acknowledging that inter-local cooperation is permitted under the Local Government Code, Gamboa said the plan lacks social acceptability.
“The people of Bacolod City are raising their voices against an agreement that has not undergone complete and thorough public hearing,” he added. | TMD
