LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Mayor Romeo K. Salda issued Executive order No. 06, series of 2020, ordering concerned offices of the Municipal Government to strictly implement the haul-back policy in the municipality as part of the overall effort to ensure the sustained vibrance of the municipality’s solid waste management program.
Under the said order, the haul-back policy mandates vegetable farmers, truckers and traders to load back home the trimmings and other garbage generated in the conduct of the trading of their agricultural crops in the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post and in other similar facilities in the municipality, including the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center.
The issuance of the executive order is anchored on the policy of the State to adopt systematic, comprehensive and ecologically-friendly solid waste management program which shall, among others, ensure the protection of public health and the environment; utilize environmentally-sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable resources and encourage resource conservation and recovery; set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, reuse, recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal and appropriate and environmentally-sound solid waste management facilities pursuant with ecologically sustainable development principles; ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practices in ecological waste management and encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management.
Ordinance No. 53, series of 1998, provides for a comprehensive solid waste management in the municipality which applies to residential houses, commercial establishments and other establishments of any kind; and agricultural areas like farms, piggeries, poultry farms, among others.
Salda asserted the municipal government continues to adopt measures and a solid waste management program consistent with environmentally-sound principles and practices, one of which is the construction of the engineered sanitary landfill at barangay Alno.
He noted that as far back as 2017, as per the report of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources office (MENRO), the area allotted for biodegradable waste at the said facility has already exceeded its prescribed capacity and as a remedial measure to reduce the volume of biodegradable waste being dispatched to the Alno waste facility, the haul-back policy shall be implemented where all vegetable trimmings and waste will be required to be hauled back home by farmers, traders and their representatives.
The ordinance provides that the penalties on agriculture offenses will apply that include a fine of P500 and a written reprimand for the first offense, a fine of P1,000 for the second offense and a fine of P2,000 and imprisonment of 5 days to 1 month or both upon the discretion of the court for the third and succeeding offenses.
Salda urged the concerned farmers, traders, truckers and their representatives to cooperate with the aforesaid haul-back policy to help in addressing the solid waste problems of the municipality.
By Hent
