Basura Patrollers Monitor Garbage Disposal in LGUs

San Jose, Antique —  Basura Patrollers are deployed by the Environmental Management  Bureau (EMB)  to all the provinces in Region 6 to monitor the compliance of local government units LGUs with Republic Act 9003.

Of the 10 Basura Patrollers deployed in the region two are assigned in Antique to monitor garbage disposal of local government units mandated under the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or RA 9003, said Josephine C. Maguad, Sr. Environment and Management Specialist,  EMB Antique.

Monitoring of garbage disposal does not only cover municipal government but at barangay level as well. Barangay Officials will be called for technical conference with the EMB once garbage are left unattended  in vacant lots or public places especially if it poses hazard and risk to health.

RA 9003  states that every Barangay or cluster of Barangays is oblige to have Material Recovery Facility (MRF) wherein residual  waste are placed for collection and proper disposal.

The National Solid Waste Management Council is unwavering in its campaign to press LGUs to comply with the provisions of the law.

In fact in the province of Iloilo six LGUs are facing charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for non-compliance withthe Law, said Maguad during the Briefing on Climate Change/ La Nina with the Antique Association of Information Officers recently at DTI’s Negosyo Center, San Jose.

For Antique, all the18 LGUs and the Provincial Government have formulated its 10-year solid waste management plan.  These plans are submitted to the National Solid Waste Management Council for review  and returned to LGUs for revision and implementation.

In addition, EMB has forged a memorandum of support from various sectors to implement the Adopt-the-Estero project in San Jose and Sibalom to engage support of stakeholders and communities in the cleanup of creeks and canals. (JCM/PSM/PIA6Antique)