BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan explained the two multi-million city-owned environmental recycling system (ERS) machines based in the closed Irisan open dumpsite will continue to process biodegradable waste to raw compost as allowed by concerned government agencies and was not part of the writ of kalikasan and continuing mandamus issued against the local government.
However, the city chief executive clarified what he ordered to stop is the processing of raw compost to compost fertilizer because this need to undergo another process before the raw compost produced by the ERS machines can be converted to organic fertilizer.
Further, he also directed the City General Services Office to identify another site for the re-processing of the raw compost to organic fertilizer to prevent the raw compost from piling up in the area and to immediately the complete the appropriate shed in the area to prevent obnoxious odor emanating from the raw compost. The concerned offices were also ordered by the mayor to complete the septic tanks in the area to prevent the biodegradable waste leaching into the creeks and avoid discomfort among the residents living in the vicinity. It will be recalled that the local government purchased the two ERS machines to covert the city’s biodegradable waste into compost fertilizer which could be used by organic farmers for their crops.
Earlier, concerned residents of Tuba petitioned the city government to stop the operation of the ERS machines based in the vicinity of the Irisan dumpsite because it is allegedly polluting their water systems aside from being the cause of increasing in harmful insects in their place.
Domogan pointed out the operation of the ERS machines in a portion of the former Irisan open dumpsite has been allowed by the environment department and is the subject of constant monitoring by the agency pursuant to the consent decree issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) which mandated concerned government agencies to submit regular report to the CA regarding the compliance of the local government to the terms and conditions of the decree.
According to him, there is no actual dumping of garbage in the former open dumpsite because the local government is mindful of the conditions embodied in the consent decree and efforts are also being done by the concerned offices of the city to address the concerns raised by residents of Tuba since there are still various projects awaiting implementation in the closed dumpsite in compliance to the city’s commitment under the writ of kalikasan.
After the ERS machines shall have converted the biodegradable waste to raw compost, the same shall be re-processed through the mixing of chemicals and undergoing a separate treatment to convert the compost to organic fertilizer which will be packaged and sold.
By Dexter a. See
