A Whole New Look Into the Garbage Crisis
October 24, 2008 by lisa
Filed under environment
2. REMOVE TRASH CANS IN PUBLIC PLACES.
The city should not provide trash bins in public places like Session Road, the Public Market and Burnham Park.
Each visitor, resident and business must BRING THEIR TRASH HOME and dispose of it properly, via segregation and collection from house to house. This way the garbage can be collected properly. And if they do not segregate, the garbage collectors can refuse to take the trash.
And all those people that the city allows to camp out in Burnham Park will just have to bring their trash back with them to Pangasinan, La Union and Tarlac.
It’s too much already the way we allow folks not to rent a room or a house, sleep in their cars, pee on the sidewalks, shit in the tacky public outhouses that the past administrations erected in all out tourist attractions, not spend on anything really except pasalubong items, but to allow them to leave their trash behind is generosity bordering on stupidity already!
We don’t earn from these kinds of tourists so we should stop encouraging them to come. And while we’re at it, city hall should rethink allowing tourist buses to park in Burnham Park — it’s not like they’re empty because there are people sleeping inside. For the few pesos we charge for parking, we have to pay millions to haul their trash back to Tarlac (where they’re probably coming from, too)?! Too much irony here, Pinky Rondez (of the I-want-a-parking-building-and-market-in-Burnham-Park fame), my friend.
3. DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND START FINING PEOPLE.
We have anti littering laws. We can even take photos as evidence these days, even with just cell phones.
The city will argue that we lack the manpower. Then have the schools create volunteer groups for this purpose. Or get those little frat boys working for the city, since they’re into community service these days to gather evidence and report violators. Farm them all over the city for a month or something as watchdogs. This would be good payback for all that graffitti they have subjected the city to for years.
Actually the fines will help in the costs of getting rid of the garbage.
And if you’re going to use the kids, please orient them properly first as to what is right and legal, ok?
4. TURN TRASH INTO CASH.
Garbage is not just garbage. It is a source of energy that can be sold. While Baguio looks for places to dump the trash, it just tells the townspeople, “Congratulations, your town has been selected as the best place for our garbage!” Now, who’s going to buy that crap? (again, pun intended)
Offer the income from garbage to a depressed community like those in Sablan. I know this because I own some property in an area that has been designated by the Department of Agrarian Reform as a depressed farming community or something and I was offered a CLOA (Certificate of Land Ownership or something) for my 8 hectares, which I did not need, by the way.
Honestly, I will allow the garbage to be dumped on my land (hey, we can probably buy the neighboring lots, too) because there’s nothing happening in my barangay, although the views of Nangalisan river and the South China sea are great, PROVIDED, I get the income from the garbage.
So, a little lesson in business, dear politicians:
You know there’s money in garbage. You are not telling the people that even the United Nations will pay the city for our garbage and waste reduction efforts. Since there is money in garbage, stop being greedy and offer it to the community that will be ‘disadvantaged’. They will heartily agree to accept the garbage if they know that there is money in it for them.
This way, we do not only find a suitable location, we give them a turnkey business, and there’s already built in manpower for this purpose.
As in business, do not sell the product, sell the benefit. Duh!
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another masterpiece lisa. those folks up in city hall should be reading your blog. but then again, they won’t have any of it because they didn’t think of it in the first place. ayaw nila ma-credit ng ibang tao even if it is for the common good. they’re too arrogant to accept their limitations. they think they are the only ones who know the answers. kuno.
that numbering system in the drugstores is not even being followed. likewise with that smoke-belching ordinance. always encounter smoke-belchers when i go out.
yes, it seems the mayor is always out. something must be wrong here. makes me think if he is undergoing treatment or something else. whatever, i wish him well.
Oh Resty,
They are reading my blog. I know that for sure.
And they are free to debate the issues, or copy the suggestions here and take all the credit (like the curfew ordinance). I don’t mind at all!
And why am I blogging? Just so the city can be clean, safe, pretty and prosperous. It does not matter who takes the credit. I write hoping for positive results so I can enjoy my life, not sidestep the trash on the streets.
Hi Lisa,
I like the new new look of your webpage than the previous one…
I used to walk barefoot in front of the Kisad Hotel (formerly Kisad Pension House) and at the Burnham Park when I was a kid. Mom used to tell me, “Magtsinelas ka nga! Baka malamigan ka!” I don’t mind really….to me it is the true essence of Baguio…a cool, clean city to live in…and oh, i just love the pine scent.
Keep on blogging. .sure they are considering your ideas…but as you said, in acknowledging, there is a problem.
Hi Lalaine,
Those who adopt any ideas or suggestions from here do not need to acknowledge the source. Ideas are free, knowledge must be shared, and once published, one can call them “open source.” If you look at my old posts, one of them was so specific, included financial projections pa, that Chi of the Cool Clouds called it “spoon feeding.”
To me, all that mattered was that the previous one was implemented, almost feature for feature. That’s how I know they visit this site.
ps. Thanks, I like this one better, too, although the featured content gallery makes it load a little too slowly.
I was born,raised,grew and educated in Baguio. We lived
in Hillside near Camp John Hay. I remembered when I was young, there is an Incinerator Building of Camp John Hay AFB just as you exit the 3rd gate towards Scout Barrio.
With all the millions spent for hauling, why can’t Baguio build its own incinerator, where they can burn all those
garbage, set up a recycling infront of it where plastics
bottles ,glass containers and newspapers in different
bins as residents bring their garbage in. The city can
charge each homeowner a set fee for this convenience
and the recyclables can be processed accordingly.
Hiya Remy, and thanks for the information. I don’t think Camp John Hay does any incineration anymore. When we were running Halfway House after the US left, garbage collection went the Filipino way.
The mayor preferred to award Metro Waste 60M for hauling instead of providing a long-term solution to the problem, you see. Then the city’s ONLY solution is to negotiate for a site as landfill — that’s what the extra 30M is for. Then there’s 12M for more dump trucks.
And th-th-that’s all folks! There goes the 103 MILLION BUDGET!
Which is why the residents and ex-residents must step up and help the leaders, who seem paralyzed.
Hi Lisa,
Love the new look!
It will help alot when people segregate the bio and non-biodegradable stuff. It just takes a little bit of effort but it cuts down the amount of trash we generate.
As for the fast food, they can use recycled paper products and not have to use styro.
BYOB- Bring Your Own Bayong. This is to cut down the use of plastic bags. Buy a really cute big canvas bag/s which you can bring everywhere.
Take care,
tina
Hi Tina,
We were just talking about the BYOB. In the 90s I used to go to the Baguio Market with a bayong in each hand, and a salakot on my head (because I had no more hands to hold an umbrella) and my mom thought I looked funny. But that is the way to go!
i was soooo disappointed when we visited Baguio last Dec 2006, konti na lang ang mga puno, ang kalsada bako-bako, at ang basura nagkalat. you might want to check out the recycling program that San Francisco, Ca has implemented, we all bring our own re-usable bags, kaya ang uniform namin dito ngayon ay Trader Joe’s grocery bags, even men carry gorcery Tote bags. no more styrofoams, all restaurants must use containers made from natural sources, so its better to finish your food in the restaurant rather than bring it home kasi, nag sa soggy yong container kung hindi plastic, so i bring my own plastic container if i want to buy soup para siguradong, it will reach home. We ahve just recently implemented the law that drug stors like Walgreen and Riteaid can not sell cigarrettes, my life will really be complete if they pass the law banning people from smoking in public places
Welcome Lorena!
And thanks for those tips.
I am aghast at how so many residents just do not care about the city. Gone are so many folks who maintain beautiful houses and gardens. The Philippines, and especially the people currently iving in Baguio are simply too in love with cement!
Sometimes, I think that when the people who had houses in Baguio were mostly from Manila, the place was much better looking…
And this paradigm shift of the mayor away from tourism simply isn’t working for the environment. His family has a huge money-maker in terms of University of Baguio you see, and, judging from the way their school grounds look, they simply do not care for the city that has given them so much.
This, and the attitudes of most of the residents, is doing so much damage to the environment. It is an urgent matter that the whole country must get involved in because it seems that the city will fail in the long term if the downslide continues.
Lisa, those whose houses were constructed in the ’40’s and ’50’s and are well-maintained should be given a reward.
salamat, gusto ko ulit bumalik sa Baguio, when I was in my 20’s , we always visit the Crying Heart of Mary Chapel. I was lucky enough that my friends from Manulife held their annual meeting there and they invited me, we had a great time, we had a girls night out in one of the clubs, visited Mines view, bought a lot of native items and silver.
It takes leadership and Commitment to maintain cleanliness, dito sa SF, bawal ang manigarilyo sa loob ng bar and sinusunod naman ito ng mga club patrons
With all the problems Baguio is facing right now, maybe it will take a long time for the city to recover. Pero para po sa akin, maganda pa rin ang Baguio at mahal ko ito.
What saddens me is that i don’t live in the city and i cannot do anything to contribute even a little for its improvement.
Yes, like what you’ve told me in my previous comment, it was the same love like yours that inspires me to visit your blog and read your articles everyday.
I do agree with your conclusion that garbage is not the problem. The garbage crisis the city is experiencing may only be a symptom of a bigger condition dictated and aggravated upon by ineptitude, ignorance, lethargy and apathy which seem to have accumulated and multiplied at an exponential rate.
However, as you have said in order for us to keep away from a predictable cataclysmic scenario the main problem of overpopulation, too much politicking and incompetent leadership should ideally be addressed first rather than looking at the symptom and treating such independently. Well, reasonably it may take a while before such therapy would be induced but surely if change cannot be initiated everything has an end.
Nonetheless, as in the case at point, suggestions have well been said as to how the problem on garbage should be approached from education to reduction which is basic and is sheer common sense. However, some inimically insensitive and contumacious people rather decided to go into a spending spree of taxpayer’s money which is even ethically and morally wrong.
The last time I checked City Officials promised that even though our city’s savings is at risk of being depleted – because of stupidity and lack of common sense. Our beloved politicians won’t be passing the burden of additional taxes and fees unto us. Yeah right! It seems that some opportunistic and sadistic people do love to take advantage of others lack of concern and interest. What a pity.
Anyway, I still believe that doing our individual share and at the same time enthusiastically encouraging others to do the same would gradually set a tone for others to follow. Everything has been said on how to resolve such crisis. We just have to do our share. God bless.
Michael Karl C. Flores
Hi Mam Lisa,
Its almost a year since the declaration of Baguio City as a calamity area due to garbage mismanagement. Surely, our honoroble men and women at city hall researched, travelled locally and abroad, had seminars and spent millions of hard earned taxpayer’s money just to address this social malaise,having plans that up to now have never reached the “common tao” for intensified guidance and implementation regarding descipline in disposing their solid waste. Both the educated and the not so one’s are of the same gravity when it comes to failure of garbage segregation-a major cause brought about by this problem. This is not a general conclusion, but it seems that the true problem here is not the individual who fails to discipline himself, but the society that this individual lives in.
We elect leaders to act as guardians and transformers of society towards social and economic upheaval. It is they who have been chosen by the majority to solve whatever threat that befalls their constituents. They are the makers of society, creators and implementor’s of laws for society to be guided with.
As leaders they are mandated to formulate, enact and implement laws for the benefit of society, transforming chaos to order. Laws were made to enforce social order. RA 9003 is one good law that our leaders have created to lessen the problem on our country’s solid waste management Why couldn’t our city government properly implement such an act that could clearly solve this continuing problem on grabage? RA 9003 is not a new law (it was implemented in 2001) and non compliance may result to a catastophic event as foreseen by its makers due to the continuing increase in population.. Baguio havent benefitted from this law so far, it still awaits its full implementation, and the City Government is at a loss in pinpointing the proper way to implement this law to the fullest.
It’s been 2 years since our present set of leaders assumed office and a year from now expect same old faces shaking hands saying “long time no see” lines, knocking on your gates and distributing flyers with their angelic faces and sweet promises, imbuing within them new strategies of persuasion.
Elections is fast approaching, we need leaders that could eliminate the glitch in our garbage problem and lead Baguio back to its status as the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines. Start learning how to segregate not only garbage, but segregate those who needs to be voted upon and those who needs to be considered as trash.
Hello everyone, hi mam lisa!!
I’m a student po of Saint Louis University and currently taking up my thesis. I propose po to study a “Material Recovery Facility” para po sa ating city. Our garbage disposal is growing everyday and the people of Baguio seems to have no ‘pakialam’. “yong research study ko po is a deeper understanding kung paano natin masosolve and ating garbage disposal.
‘Yong mga classmates ko po is also researching on Burnham Park, Mines View Park and other Parks dito sa ating city. We’re all trying to research on everything about Baguio para po sana will make everyone aware of what’s happening in our city.
I love everyones comment. I know you guys are one of those who really care deeply for our City. May I ask po help sa inyo. Is there anyone na kilala nyo who is an expert on Solid Waste Management? I would love to hear from you guys, here’s my email add: yoh_millatone@yahoo.com
Thanks a lot po sa mga comments nyo, my maisusulat ako sa thesis proposal ko, jeje!!!
Hello Marijun,
Your best resource for this information would be SEC or DTI (most likely SEC) and the regional office is headed by a nice lady, Atty. Annie Tesoro, with their offices at the Baguio Convention Center. The Securities and Exchange Commission of the Philippines has a list of corporations and their contact info, classified into different industries.
Good luck with your thesis.
Hi Ms. Lisa,
I was googling about the current garbage situation in Baguio when I chanced upon your blog. I’m planning to take my famuly to Baguio this Christmas, but not sure if it would be a good idea since I’ve been hearing about the garbage problem in the news. Can you do me a huge favor? Please advise if we’d still enjoy our stay despite the trash, or we’d only spend the whole time there covering our noses?
Thanks for your informative blog!
Jay
Hi Jay,
The crisis is over, because it was a political issue in the first place with the mayor preferring to enter into expensive hauling contracts instead of coming up with a permanent and effective solution.
Go ahead with your Christmas plans as Baguio is simply wonderful at this time of the year.
This is terrific news! We will definitely proceed on Dec. 16. Thanks for your quick reply and sound advice! More power to you, Ms. Lisa
You’re welcome Jay.
You see I want people to LOVE the city of my heart and it pains me to discuss the “dirty” side of things. But I would be remiss in my role as good citizen if I were to shut up and agree with the politicians’ greedy moves.
To enjoy Baguio better, please check out my recommendations at http://www.gobaguio.com