The research team from the St. Louis University (SLU) recommended that there should be a tripartite partnership among concerned stakeholders as key to a sustainable solution for the city’s solid waste management issues and concerns.
Dr. Gladys Navarro, head of the SLU research team commissioned by the city government to undertake the study, stated that among the proposals derived from the study include the privatization of the city’s overall solid waste management system, community-based solid waste management system and complimentary solid waste management system.
However, she said that it is evident in the said study is that there is willingness among the surveyed participants to pay for the solid waste management services at the barangay level.
Further, Dr. Navarro stipulated that 72 percent of the respondents to the survey are professionals and thus their willingness to pay for this kind of service.
According to her 34 percent of the respondents to the survey are not paying their prescribed 240 annual garbage dues to the city government and that those who are not settling their garbage fees are ordinary residents.
For businesses, the SLU professor claimed they are religious in paying their garbage fees because it is a requirement in the processing and renewal of their business permits.
At present, the city government is hauling its generated residual waste to the engineered sanitary landfill of Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation based in Capas, Tarlac after the environment department ordered the closure of the Urdaneta City sanitary landfill because of its violation of existing environmental laws, rules and regulations.
Navarro also noted that residents are fully aware of the reduce, reuse and recycle policy of the city government and that they also understand its benefits in significantly reducing the volume of waste being hauled out of the city.
On the other hand, she stipulated that some of the respondents to the survey also signified their intention to render community service even if they are professionals which is an indication that people understand their important role in the proper disposal of their household waste to help in sustaining the ongoing efforts to effectively and efficiently address the solid waste management woes of the city.
The comprehensive report on the results of the aforesaid study will be submitted to the city government for the crafting of the feasible policies to address the solid waste management problems of the city which had been prevalent for over a decade now and to ensure that people will comply with the governing rules and regulations to be enforced for the protection of the health of the people and the state of the environment as enshrined under existing laws, rules and regulations. By Dexter A. See
