A waste management crisis is impending as the city's open garbage dump in barangay Dampas is feared of being closed down.

This, as some 94-percent of the host barangay's residents have called for the closure of the open dumpsite through a signature campaign that was launched during a barangay assembly last March 29.

Dampas barangay captain Fredison Ingles admitted to the Chronicle that the call for the dumpsite closure cropped-up during the barangay assembly while residents continuously complain of flies, stink and smog emanating from the garbage disposal site.

Meanwhile, Dampas barangay kagawad Aida Parafon, in a separate interview with the Chronicle yesterday, said officials of the barangay are finding ways to avert the looming garbage crisis as some of their constituents have indicated filing a petition questioning the operation of the open dump despite a closure deadline set under RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Parafon, who had been consulting the regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) last week, disclosed that a complete closure of the dumpsite can be avoided if all 15 barangays in the city would establish their own materials recovery facility (MRF) and composting sites.

According to Parafon, there may be a strong basis for whoever may petition for the dump's closure since the site is situated over a sinkhole which contaminates the city's groundwater resources especially during rainfall.

In fact, there are several deep wells near the dumpsite, according to Parafon. This was also the reason why the area did not qualify as a sanitary landfill site due to the land feature.

Another issue raised during the barangay assembly is the prioritization of the solid waste management program by the city government.

"Biodegradable or recyclable wastes should be the responsibility of each barangay so that only residual waste will go to our dumpsite," Parafon said.

Residents near the garbage disposal site also complain of the foul smell coming from the dumps when there is burning of garbage.

Allowing the towns of Dauis and Panglao to dispose their garbage in Dampas was another concern raised by Dampas residents during the assembly.

Speaking in behalf of Dampas officials, Parafon said they are willing to cooperate with the city government to solve the impending waste crisis.

"We do not want a complete closure [of the dumpsite], but we urge other barangays to do their share of the garbage problem," she added.

CITY HALL'S PLAN

City Mayor Dan Lim had declared he is not keen in joining the still pending Cluster Sanitary Landfill project in the town of Albur.

Apart from the controversy that the project has generated, Lim said there is a more efficient technology being introduced by a German firm on recycling of waste.

According to the mayor, the site of the recycling plant, which will be constructed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) scheme, is already identified somewhere in barangay Taloto.

Residual waste coming from the recycling facility is close to none, according to Lim.

ALBUR SANITARY LANDFILL

Until now, the Cluster Sanitary Landfill in Albur has yet to be realized.

The project has encountered another glitch as affected residents in barangay Dangay of said town were assessed capital gains tax from the sale of their lots to be used for the landfill site.

Chronicle sources bared that the landowners were assured by former mayor Efren Tungol that the municipal government appropriated an amount for the capital gains tax arising from the sale of properties.

However, as the lot owners were paid in full by the project's contractor recently, the tax assessments were passed on them.