DENR 7 Laments Over 197 Tons of Garbage After Sinulog

An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said they are planning to tap the schools and other institutions to raise educational campaign among students about proper waste management.

DENR-7 spokesman Eddie Llamedo added that they have also encouraged the manufacturers to limit the use of plastics in their packaging and, on the part of consumers, to utilize containers from their own homes.

Llamedo made the statement in reaction to the report of the Cebu City Hall’s Department of Public Services (DPS) that about 197 tons of garbage were collected from different parts of the city only last Sunday during the holding of Sinulog Grand Parade.

Garbage, composed mostly of food packs and cellophanes, scattered in the Sinulog carousel routes after the whole-day event Sunday, which only proved that most of those who attended the Grand Parade are still undisciplined.

Llamedos said what is needed is change of attitude, change of behavior.

“Sige ta og enforce ug mga pahimangno apan dili gihapon sundon sa mga tawo, dili gihapon nila usbon ilang kinaiya,” he said.

He advised the city government and business establishments in the city to provide more garbage containers.

But Llamedo added there is still a need to intensify the level of awareness about proper waste disposal.

“We need to encourage them to properly dispose their trash to reduce the waste that will be generated every year,” he said.

In Cebu City, over 200 tons of garbage are transported to a private landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion because the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Inayawan, had not been used for garbage dumping the past two years.

For every ton of garbage that will be transported to the private landfill in Consolacion, the city is paying P700. City Hall wish to make another landfill, but the officials of the city’s 80 barangays opposed that the landfill will be constructed in their place.