MikeLigalig.com

By Kit Bagaipo
News report from the Bohol Chronicle
July 8, 2007

Residents of Albur town led by Mayor Jose Ugdoracion has threatened to stage a town protest if the ongoing construction of the Cluster Sanitary Landfill project in said town will not be stopped.

This was declared by Ugdoracion during an interview with the Chronicle yesterday after officially sending queries to Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) General Manager Robert Dean Barbers.

The mayor found out that construction activities have actually started when, in fact, former Mayor Efren Tungol and Gov. Erico Aumentado have been floating the idea that the project is still a proposal.

The PTA, which is funding the landfill project, has reportedly released P85 million for land acquisition in the project site, paving of a 4-kilometer road network going to the site and the landfill itself.
     
Ugdoracion, through Albur Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Leila Cafe, questioned when the bidding of the sanitary landfill was conducted and the legalities surrounding the release of funds for the lots.

According to the mayor, he was informed by a representative of the project's contractor that the road going to the project site has already been completed and that Barbers has given a notice to proceed with the construction of the sanitary facility.

In fact, last June 29, PTA officials were to Albur to start paying landowners that will be affected by the project, Ugdoracion said.

About 50-percent of lot owners were already paid by the PTA, the mayor disclosed.
Ugdoracion said the project's location, in barangay Danggay of said town, is an environmentally critical area, as it is one of the water source of the municipal waterworks system.

At least five barangays are depending on the water supply coming from the barangay which will be contaminated once the sanitary landfill is situated in the area.

Moreover, until now, there has been no environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Likewise, no environmental impact assessment and feasibility study has been made by project proponents, said Ugdoracion.

Oppositors of the cluster sanitary landfill have said that the project is being implemented even without proper consultation and that they refuse their town will be used as a dumpsite of other towns that are members of the cluster.

Cluster member towns include Corella, Cortes, Baclayon, Tagbilaran, Dauis, Panglao, Loon and Maribojoc.

The decision to form a cluster came after the Republic Act 9003, the ecological solid waste management act transfers to the local government units the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of the new law.

Section 33 of the law mandates consolidated efforts by local government units efforts, resources and services to address common garbage disposal issues including establishment of common disposal facilities.

The law also specifies that the solid waste as used does not entail hazardous and infectious wastes, laboratory wastes and mining tailings.

Section 37 has provided for the measure to close all open dumpsites while converting them into sanitary landfills by 2006.

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