Strict implementation of waste disposal is answer to Davao River, Gulf pollution woes

Strict implementation of the Solid Waste
Management Ordinance is the key towards keeping the Davao River, and
Davao Gulf clean, according to a city councilor.

Marissa Abella, chair of the council committee on environment, said
the law provides that collection of wastes and proper disposal of
wastes start in the barangays.

“Coastal clean-up is not the answer to addressing the problem of
polluted rivers and gulf, it is addressing the source of the wastes,”
Abella said.

Hence, she said the city should push for the solid waste management by
stepping up the information education communication (IEC) in the
barangays and to all communities.

Davao Gulf Management Council (DGMC) chair and former councilor
Leonardo Avilla, III, also former committee on environment chair, said
as of last year, Davao City generated 700 tons of garbage every day.

But with the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Ordinance
the volume of wastes is believed to have been reduced.

Avila said the ordinance was already approved by the previous council
and is currently subject for publication. After it is published, the
city government will come up with the implementing rules and
guidelines, afterwhich, implementation of the ordinance will go full
blast.

Abella said the creation of the Solid Waste Management Board is also
significant to give teeth to the implementation of the ordinance. She
said the city has yet to come up with the board’s composition.

Cristy Gallano, managing consultant of the Davao River initiatives for
her part said the condition of the Davao river systems however is not
hopeless.

She said there are still rivers that remained clean and are not
suffering siltation among others, Tamugan River and rivers in the
Paquibato area.

She is amenable that proper waste disposal plays a big factor towards
keeping the rivers clean.

She said the city government should be serious in implementing the
Solid Waste Management Ordinance not only in the city but also in the
communities.

Posted in: implementation of waste disposal