Solving the Garbage Problem
April 21, 2009 by lisa
Filed under better baguio initiative
Renie Paoayan wrote his suggestions on the city’s trash collection issues in Garbage Fees Hiked 1000% and submitted them in the comments section therein. I have reproduced his comment in toto here instead (note that I edited it only to put bullet points for emphasis and easier reading) because his thoughts might just go unnoticed as a lengthy comment in an archived post. Because with the local government’s failure (is it inability or is it refusal?) to collect our garbage, what is being attacked is not only our health, our income as a tourist destination but also the spirit of the people of Baguio.
Since apparently the city leaders cannot rely on their own capability to resolve this situation and cannot rely either on the thousands of employees working in for city hall whose salaries we have been paying for to come up with solutions, maybe the city leaders should listen to and tap civil society because we are students, parents, businessmen and employees who, everyday, use the simplest and most direct approaches to solve any problems we may encounter in our lives.
Please read what Renie wrote:
“Baguio City was declared a calamity area last July 2008 due to people’s inconsiderate garbage mishandling and the local government’s garbage mismanagement.
Baguio City’s image as the cleanest and greenest City in the Philippines have been tainted due to this social malaise. Almost 9 months have passed and yet the City government of Baguio is not acting that fast, not realizing the impending threat this problem might contribute to the city’s status as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
Let us consider harnessing the positive inputs this situation can offer.
- Ninety eight percent of all solid waste is recyclable and a lot of these waste materials, if handled properly and processed at a well managed recycling plant, can be a lucrative source of profit and a means of deterring unemployment. Not only will it save virgin materials coming from environmental living flora and fauna, it also lessens the impact of the worsening condition of global warming.
- Recycling saves hectares of trees to be cut, it saves fuel and energy from extracting, processing and transporting virgin materials. Recycling is an industry that would be in demand in the next generations to come. It is being proliferated in countries like China, Japan, US and the European Union. What the Baguio City government should consider is to initiate and fund a venture of this magnitude. Applying the essence of Republic act 9003, the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the local government of Baguio in cooperation with other Municipalities within CAR, should think of ways that would enhance the establishment of a recycling industry within the Cordillera Region.
- Applying an entrepreneurial approach would gear up this industry into a booming, in demand, job generating endeavor that would help in the economic upheaval of our city and nearby municipalities, boosting tourism to it’s level and ridding the problem on garbage, not only in Baguio, but the rest of the Cordilleras.
- The recycling industry offers a variety of benefits that would definitely cater to thousands of local residents through taxable economic activities during its operation. It will absolutely generate thousands of jobs that would deter the rise in local recession.
- Deploy people with accountabilities within sensitive positions that will lead towards industry verticalization and diversification. Appoint people having an intense urge for an entrepreneurial approach in running the industry. Tap the youth in filling up these positions, let them realize it’s their future being saved right now.
- Eradicate red tape and corruption within the system. Impose stiff penalties regarding internal and external management violations that leads to the deterioration of the industry.
- Intensify freedom of information on all laws, technology and details regarding environmental issues to the populace.
- Find a land that could accommodate a recycling plant and a land fill that could be used for a dump site for residuals.
- Tap the Department of Science and Technology in coming up with reliable machines and equipment that would process solid waste into a reliable source of raw material. Practice Pollution Prevention methods while undergoing operations. Integrate Total Quality Management.
- Apply the principles of Six Sigma Approach in maintaining the smooth running condition and operation of the plant, spend for people who have to go acquire such an expensive, yet effective way of having a synergistic enterprise, having an almost zero defect operation. Send reliable personnels that could train in successful recycling plants situated abroad.
- The recycling industry is bound to be a must for every country to have, it is definitely indispensable. The City should try considering investing in this baby industry that has a purpose in maintaining the balance in the current global situation with regards to economy and the environment. It is just a matter of proper governance, community participation and mandate, environmental awareness and an intensified entrepreneurial approach for a recycling industry to function well. It might have a hard time coping up with its purposes at its conception, but the recycling industry has probable prospects of attaining success in these times of global change for a better tomorrow.
- The city’s population is increasing. These proportionately increases the volume of solid waste produced every day. Let us realize the importance of a neglected industry. The recycling industry should be supported by all citizens, back upped by the state and its law enforcers implementing the essence of Republic Act 9003 to its maximum, exempting no one, rich or poor.
- Solid waste problems will always recur, hauling it down to Capas will only do us more harm than good, it will definitely drain our treasury’s funds, more intended for improving Baguio’s environment, roads and parks, the essence of Baguio’s existence as the Summer Capital of the Philippines.
The solution is there, it just needs fangs to bite on those who oppose and disregard this absolute solution to our solid waste problem. It’s hard to start up something that seems to be impossible. But with the increasing population of Baguio, our honorable men and women at city hall should start thinking of a long term plan that can subdue the impending threat of another calamity brought about by garbage mismanagement in this paradise city.”
I tried to contact Renie via email to let him know that his comment was to be included in this post and discuss the issue some more but the message I sent bounced back. So I checked his link and found that Renie has a more comprehensive article about this issue in his blog.
The city should really listen to the people. The leaders will be missing so many opportunities if they do not tap into the best minds already living here and insist instead on their costly, temporary and ultimately useless past “solutions”
Or is this something the Mayor Bautista (who another commenter in the “Garbage Fees Hike” articlecalls “Mayor Basura”) does not want to solve?
We just...
Lisa, after the barangay elections, a general assembly was held. Think this was the time we had a guest who spoke on garbage segregation. I had with me a list of items I couldn’t figure out whether they were recyclables or residuals. Such as tetra packs, the plastic from cotton buds, toothpaste tube, shaver, sachets from shampoo and coffee, etc. Anyway, the guest said he would provide us with a more specific list and that was many months ago. Since then no follow up whatsoever.
Ok Resty,
Lemme research which ones are recyclable and which ones aren’t. Maybe I can publish a list here. No promises, will try my best. After all I was doing some research on what can and cannot be included in composting.
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Janmck Hilado
Hi Mam Lisa!!
I’am truly elated upon reading my article . A million thanks for allowing it to be posted in your website
It would be a priviledge to share whatever comments and suggestion I may contribute to your informative site. I love Baguio and I will do whatever good cause I may contribute to it’s welfare, in writing and in action. I will continue to go along side people like you who seeks for Baguio’s excellence. Baguio is sick, and it needs immediate attention.
More power mam, and keep on blogging! Thanks
By the way, I heard from a good friend that the Mayor of Capas Tarlac is in hot water due to the volume of garbage being dumped in their place, so, that means bad news for Baguio. Just wonder what’s under the sleeves of our honorable men and women at city hall? Our good Mayor of Baguio is proposing an incinerator, right back at the closed Irisan dumpsite, what a no , no, we tried that before and it just worsened the problem. With the rain pouring this summer, garbage problems are here again. God help Baguio!!
Hi Renie,
The problem is not so much the garbage as it is that we are saddled with incompetent and greedy leadership. What a fatal combination!
Can’t wait for 2010… I really hope folks wake up and smell the stench and not vote for these people again. I really think we need non-traditional politicians, honest and competent managers and businessmen who know how to run profitable enterprises. Baguio, as any city, should be run like a corporation and not subject to the whims of a few people in power who do not care for the residents except to see them as voters who must be kept ignorant and hopeless so they can toss us a few morsels here and there.
Hay naku, I got me started…
Your suggestions are great, and thus merit more attention from all the readers. Thank YOU!
It would be lovely to use Baguio Insider not only as a forum for venting, but as a repository of our individual efforts in researching and analyzing the local situation here.
I wrote somewhere here in this site that the folks who will host the trash should be given THE business opportunity because there is a lot of money to be made with garbage, as you very well know.
More power to your blog… keep at it. We all should add value to the internet by providing useful information, plus we really should chronicle history for future generations to benefit therefrom.
Hi,
Suggestions are great and does pinpoints the exact problems we have.. People with lack of Knowledge on how best to manage garbage.
If you’re the head of the household and you dont know where your garbage can is, your whole house would be the whole garbage can.. WHOLE BAGUIO IS GARBAGE CAN NOW!
If you are the head of the family and you dont know how to process garbage to be reused again, then youll try to send it out of your house. BAGUIO TRYING TO SEND TO CAPAS?? OR SOME LAND WE CONSIDER USELESS SO WE DUMP TRASH.
Less than 100 days for Centennial, Dont tell me the HEAD(MAYOR) of the family would ask his KIDS(PEOPLE OF BAGUIO) to throw/hide all our trash in our cabinets and under our beds when VISITORS(TOURISTS) are in the HOUSE(BAGUIO).
PEOPLE MAKE GARBAGE! Whether we like to or not. the question is would the leader like us to manage ours, if so, and if we did, he should get out of the house as his usefulness is none existent. I wouldnt like someone to sit in there and get taxes and tell me to give CLEAN garbage because we already clean it up inside our home.
helow poh… my comment is dapat makicooperate din mga people concern esp. in our city, but ofcourse the biggest responsibility must be on the part of our city officials.. yun lang naman poh… magtulungan po tayong lahat…!
Hi Anon,
Somehow I missed responding to your comment — sorry about that. And yup, the Filipinos have been masters of recycling and waste management for decades — remember “dyaryo-bote?” The head of the house decides what is best way to dispose of garbage, and the most cost efficient way of dealing with waste, trying to recoup some of the expense by recycling or even selling the waste.
The problem here is, our HEAD is not doing his job — local government is all about housekeeping, and someone like Bayani Fernando did a fantastic job with Marikina, maybe because he loves the place.
Our mayor is not prudent about using taxpayers money, choosing the most expensive and temporary solutions to a crisis his government has caused, failing to educate the kids (residents), failing to listen to others who may have better experience in these matters (other mayors, barangay captains, private companies, etc who have offered solutions)).
And this I assert is because he wants to ruin Baguio as a tourist destination so family businesses like his can annex the rest of this beautiful city as a whole campus for their overstuffed colleges — without paying for it and using the taxpayers money in the process (e.g. build a Php400M parking building on Burnham when UC or UB do not provide parking for their behicles).
Hi Edrylyne,
We cooperate, we are creative, but the rest of the populace needs guidance and also penalties for not cooperating. Yung mga ibang dayo at bagong lipat, di na nga nagbabayad ng buwis, ginagawa pa tayong basurahan, dinadala pa yung kanilang kadugyutan sa ating ciudad. Penalties, let the barangays go on an education campaign and have ordinances, impose penalties and police their areas for garbage, since the city is not doing it properly.
Too much population, people who are visitors and students mostly, taking concern and caring lightly since they are not from Baguio. Baguio is so peaceful during holidays when people go home to their provinces.
“Baguio is so peaceful during holidays when people go home to their provinces.”
Yup, check out the November 1 weekend and you will know who is a real resident of the city, because they have their loved ones buried here.
With Baguio attracting more than 30,000 students from the lowlands to live here 10 months out of every year come vendors, carinderia owners, teachers with whole families.
I like tourists, they come for a few days, spend as much money over a weeekend that a student will in a month and then go back home.
I do agree with his conclusions. ,
bla bla bla all talk and no action typcial
Dennis,
Apparently our local government does not like to listen to its people. Our garbage collection issue is political with the mayor and vice-mayor wanting to spend tens of millions to haul and the city council refusing to allocate funds for it but not coming up with a plan.
In the meantime, we must just continue individual efforts to reduce, recycle, reuse garbage.