Law banning open dumps barely enforced in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY—Only 34 of 114 cities and towns in Bicol have complied with a law that bars open dumps, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Joselin Marcus Fragada, DENR regional executive director, said 80 local government units in the region continue to violate the Solid Waste Management Act.

Fragada said he was pushing for the enforcement of a “three-strike” policy against LGUs that continue to violate the law.

According to Fragada, DENR records identified five erring LGUs as San Fernando, Mandaon and Palanas in Masbate and Bacacay and Daraga in Albay.

“These local government units were already served with the final notice but they failed to comply,” said Fragada.

Records at the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR showed 79 LGUs in Bicol had been issued “first strike notices” for violating the law.

Bicol produces 559,180 metric tons of garbage a year or 1,532 tons of waste a day. Camarines Sur produces 508 tons of waste per day; Albay, 356 tons; Masbate, 231 tons; Sorsogon, 213 tons; Camarines Norte, 154 tons and Catanduanes, 70 tons, said Fragada, quoting a study made by EMB.

The EMB study said the amount of waste produced by Bicol is about 5 percent of the amount of garbage that the country produces.

Fragada said small towns that lack funds to build sanitary landfills would get help from DENR.

In Bicol, the EMB study said, only 18 LGUs segregate waste.