After discovering that used grease and oil clogging the drainage system on Tomas Morato in Quezon City were partly to blame for flooding in the area during heavy rains, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Sunday issued a warning to restaurants and food establishments.
During the agency’s weekly radio program, Tony Abayon of the MMDA Flood Control Information Center said that those caught dumping chunks of used oil into the drainage would be slapped with a fine ranging from P2,000 to P5,000. Worse, their business permit may also be revoked by local government officials.
“Based [on] our experience here in Metro Manila, we always encounter drainage problems because of the [hardened] used grease blocking manholes and water pipes,” Abayon added.
This, despite the fact that all restaurants and businesses selling food products are required to have grease traps.
According to Abayon, they usually write to the establishment concerned about the violation. “If we see that they [still] do not [comply] with our directive, then that’s the time we slap them with a penalty or even recommend their closure to the local government which has jurisdiction over them,” he added.
“The Department of Public Works and Highways is planning to connect Timog going to Scout Tobias by adding a new drainage on Tomas Morato,” Abayon said.
In an earlier radio interview, MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino reminded restaurant owners about the importance of using grease traps, noting that used oil, when thrown into the drainage system, solidifies.
Tolentino also encouraged households to install grease traps to avoid having the same problem.
“Some establishments and households do not want to spend extra for these grease traps so the oil they have used goes directly to their drainage [which] then goes into creeks,” Abayon explained.
A check of online stores offering grease traps revealed that these could cost between P1,000 to P10,000, depending on the size.
Used grease, according to the MMDA, could be sold or given to individuals who convert this into bio-diesel fuel.
Abayon added that they were also coordinating with local government units in Metro Manila on monitoring business establishments since they were in charge of issuing business permits.
The MMDA earlier intensified its estero cleanup program to prevent flooding during the rainy season and eradicate breeding sites for mosquitos.