City Council slammed for garbage problem

CAGAYAN DE ORO – Civil society organizations (CSOs) trooped to the Cagayan de Oro City Hall Monday to push for the immediate implementation of the Comprehensive Ecological Solid Waste Management program and to express disapproval over what they see as the council’s neglect of the City’s waste disposal program.

About 50 people coming from the different CSOs joined the protest action aimed also at raising awareness among Kagayanons about the urgent need to address the worsening garbage problem.

“Gipakita nato na dili ta blind sa gakahitabo karon sa City Government,” said Sabrina Garcia, technical support staff of the City Ecological Solid Waste Management Committee.

Garcia said the lack of proper garbage disposal mechanisms is fast becoming a health risk.

“Dili pwede na ma ‘hostage’ kita, kay kabalo ta naa may kwarta ang syudad, dili gyud ta kasabot nganu dili ni siya gina-aprubar sa City Council,” she said.

Garcia said by withholding funds for the City’s solid waste management program, the City Council effectively shackled the city’s capacity to comply with the Republic Act 9003, otherwise known as the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Businessman Tito Mora, who ran for a City Council seat under the administration ticket in 2013, also criticized the Council’s efforts to hostage the solid waste management program.

“Beyond words gyud ang atong pagka-disappoint sa ila. I can’t think of any reason nganu ila kanunay na gibabagan,” he said. Pamela Jay F. Orias