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Feature Article
SPECIAL REPORT
Angeles City stinks
Angeles City stinks
Oct 05, 2009
This city faces a continuing man-made calamity that hounds the Nepomuceno administration. Its effects reaching almost every household, its intensity increasing by the day.
Dr. Allan Cruz, a dentist who has lived in Barangay Pulungbulu here for over 30 years, says garbage collection has been irregular for more than a year now.
“Since I have my own pick-up truck, I just drive and look for those big garbage containers along Sto. Entierro St. and put ‘everything’ there. Kapag binabawalan ako, ang sagot ko sa kanila, mabuti na dito kesa naman itapon ko sa ilog,” he said.
Like Dr. Allan, other residents here and in other barangays have been doing the same, though others have resorted to throwing their wastes in open dumpsites, which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) prohibits.
“It already emits bad odor, it stinks because garbage stays there for days so we have no choice but to look for places where we can throw it,” some residents of Barangay Virgen Delos Remedios and Agapito Del Rosario told Punto. “We’re paying P30 monthly for garbage fees but how come they don’t collect our garbage everyday? “We do not know why.”
But for barangay captains, one major cause was the city government’s failure to pay its almost P65-million debts to the Kalangitan Landfill in Capas, Tarlac.
As a result, trucks commissioned by the city to bring waste to Kalangitan have been barred due to unpaid debts. Garbage piles up all over the city, notably and most dangerously, in areas near creeks.
“Indeed Angeles now stinks,” says Environmentalist Sonny Dobles who recently visited illegal open dumpsites in Barangays Sapang Bato, Anunas and Balibago.
He says a number of illegal open dumpsites now operate in the city (see photos).
I DID MY PART
In a separate interview, Balibago Barangay Captain Rodelio “Tony” Mamac says not only the trash of Balibago but also that from nearby barangays has long been dumped at the open dumpsite in Hadrian, Balibago long before he assumed his post in 2007.
He disclosed that with the assistance of the city government, they were able to drastically reduce the volume of waste at Hadrian and stopped people from dumping garbage in the area.
However, Mamac says he was not able to sustain the clean-up at Hadrian because the Nepomuceno administration stopped helping him.
“I have no trucks to haul the garbage. Even if I have one, where will I throw the garbage since we are prohibited from dumping at Kalangitan due to the huge debt.”
BLAMING GAME
In a phone interview, City Administrator Mark Allen Sison says “concerned barangay captains should be asked on the reported illegal dumpsites in their respective area.”
He defended his boss saying that they are now concentrating on the re-use, recycling and segregation of waste at the material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Pampang.
Sison added that they have talked with Kalangitan officials and settled the city’s debt on an installment basis. He promised to give a detailed report of the payment but failed to do so as of press time.
MISMANAGED
Some city councilors and most barangay captains do not agree with Sison’s claim.
In a report published recently in a local paper, at least 17 of the 33 barangay captains here signed a resolution seeking the help of Chairman Reynaldo Villar of the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit on the P65-million unpaid claims of the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (that manages Kalangitan) to the city government.
“Upon the conduct of a Special Audit, a special audit report, if so warrants, be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman for the administrative adjudication and criminal prosecution of all concerned officials responsible for the garbage crisis,” the resolution says.
The Liga ng mga Barangay Resolution No. 38, series of 2009, cited MCWMC’s letter to the city government of Angeles on March 27 asking the immediate payment of their claim of more or less P60 million for the tipping of garbage disposed on the landfill’s facilities.
Since Nepomuceno has yet to pay the debts, Kalangitan on June 9, 2009 totally stopped accepting garbage from this city. Kalangitan’s total claims reached to almost P65 million.
Councilor Jay Sangil, a member of the minority bloc, assailed Nepomuceno saying that the City Hall is mismanaged and misgoverned. “This resulted to the P65-million debt to the Kalangitan landill.”
Sangil and other opposition councilors including Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting say that the city’s annual budget before (under Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin who is now the congressman of Pampanga’s 1st District) was only around P500 million but garbage was managed properly and fees were paid religiously.
“Now, the annual budget is almost P1 billion under the Nepomuceno administration. So ano ngayon ang iisipin mo? Obvious na may irregularity di ba?” says Sangil in a phone interview.
Sec. Ed Pamintuan, former mayor of this city and now the chairman of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council, recounted that under his leadership, “we have all sorts of problem at that time and much worse.”
“Because our garbage dump site at that time was also covered with lahar, but we managed to maintain the place free from odor and had a small like material recovery facility,” he said in a text message.
“And because of that we landed in the top three cities with manageable waste disposal system,” Pamintuan added.
PIGGERIES TOO
The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) led by its chairman Ruperto “Perto” Cruz urged local officials and residents not just to focus on the garbage but “a deadlier pollution problem:” Foul smell-emitting piggeries and poultries in Barangays Sta. Cruz and Manibaug-Paralaya in nearby Porac town that also affects barangays and subdivisions here.
Citing the study of the US-based Hilton Kalusche of the Mississippi Safety and Environment Office, the PGKM said the piggeries release hydrogen sulfide in the air which instantly enters human beings.
The PGKM added that long-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide and foul smell emitted by piggeries could cause “sudden death.”
The anti-pollution campaign waged against Porac piggeries hit the politically powerful and influential Nepomucenos of Barangay Cutcut in this city.
Poultries and piggeries associated with Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Robin Nepomuceno in Cutcut allegedly contributes to the foul odor enveloping residential and commercial areas, including schools in the western part of the city and portions of Porac. The ABC president is the brother of Angeles City Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno. He is also a known friend of Porac Mayor Roger Santos who has been the butt of criticism for his alleged inaction on the Porac pollution problem.
Robin reportedly operates a poultry farm beside the Royal Golf and Country Club (RGCC) at boundaries of Cutcut and Porac. The golf course is co-owned by Cruz.
Cruz has urged the Environment and Management Bureau (EMB) to look into the direction of Cutcut to find “a clear and present danger to the health of nearby communities” allegedly poised by the Nepomuceno piggeries and poultries.
Robin said that he welcomed any inquiries as to the legitimacy of their poultry operation.
WHAT SOLUTION?
In a bid to come up with effective solutions on the worsening garbage problem, Salapungan Barangay Captain Robert Yeen urged concerned parties and groups to hold a garbage summit.
He said politics should not be included in solving this mess and Angeleños must unite to end the problem.
Councilor Maricel “Marang” Morales, a former beauty queen, said “we owe it to the public to provide a clean and safe environment but sadly, we are not going to that direction.”
City hall workers who talked to on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said the city government has enough money to pay garbage fees in Kalangitan.
However, they say: “It’s just a matter of priorities. Managing and solving the city’s garbage problem is not Nepo’s priority.”
-By Joey Aguilar and Joey Pavia
Dr. Allan Cruz, a dentist who has lived in Barangay Pulungbulu here for over 30 years, says garbage collection has been irregular for more than a year now.
“Since I have my own pick-up truck, I just drive and look for those big garbage containers along Sto. Entierro St. and put ‘everything’ there. Kapag binabawalan ako, ang sagot ko sa kanila, mabuti na dito kesa naman itapon ko sa ilog,” he said.
Like Dr. Allan, other residents here and in other barangays have been doing the same, though others have resorted to throwing their wastes in open dumpsites, which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) prohibits.
“It already emits bad odor, it stinks because garbage stays there for days so we have no choice but to look for places where we can throw it,” some residents of Barangay Virgen Delos Remedios and Agapito Del Rosario told Punto. “We’re paying P30 monthly for garbage fees but how come they don’t collect our garbage everyday? “We do not know why.”
But for barangay captains, one major cause was the city government’s failure to pay its almost P65-million debts to the Kalangitan Landfill in Capas, Tarlac.
As a result, trucks commissioned by the city to bring waste to Kalangitan have been barred due to unpaid debts. Garbage piles up all over the city, notably and most dangerously, in areas near creeks.
“Indeed Angeles now stinks,” says Environmentalist Sonny Dobles who recently visited illegal open dumpsites in Barangays Sapang Bato, Anunas and Balibago.
He says a number of illegal open dumpsites now operate in the city (see photos).
I DID MY PART
In a separate interview, Balibago Barangay Captain Rodelio “Tony” Mamac says not only the trash of Balibago but also that from nearby barangays has long been dumped at the open dumpsite in Hadrian, Balibago long before he assumed his post in 2007.
He disclosed that with the assistance of the city government, they were able to drastically reduce the volume of waste at Hadrian and stopped people from dumping garbage in the area.
However, Mamac says he was not able to sustain the clean-up at Hadrian because the Nepomuceno administration stopped helping him.
“I have no trucks to haul the garbage. Even if I have one, where will I throw the garbage since we are prohibited from dumping at Kalangitan due to the huge debt.”
BLAMING GAME
In a phone interview, City Administrator Mark Allen Sison says “concerned barangay captains should be asked on the reported illegal dumpsites in their respective area.”
He defended his boss saying that they are now concentrating on the re-use, recycling and segregation of waste at the material recovery facility (MRF) in Barangay Pampang.
Sison added that they have talked with Kalangitan officials and settled the city’s debt on an installment basis. He promised to give a detailed report of the payment but failed to do so as of press time.
MISMANAGED
Some city councilors and most barangay captains do not agree with Sison’s claim.
In a report published recently in a local paper, at least 17 of the 33 barangay captains here signed a resolution seeking the help of Chairman Reynaldo Villar of the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit on the P65-million unpaid claims of the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (that manages Kalangitan) to the city government.
“Upon the conduct of a Special Audit, a special audit report, if so warrants, be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman for the administrative adjudication and criminal prosecution of all concerned officials responsible for the garbage crisis,” the resolution says.
The Liga ng mga Barangay Resolution No. 38, series of 2009, cited MCWMC’s letter to the city government of Angeles on March 27 asking the immediate payment of their claim of more or less P60 million for the tipping of garbage disposed on the landfill’s facilities.
Since Nepomuceno has yet to pay the debts, Kalangitan on June 9, 2009 totally stopped accepting garbage from this city. Kalangitan’s total claims reached to almost P65 million.
Councilor Jay Sangil, a member of the minority bloc, assailed Nepomuceno saying that the City Hall is mismanaged and misgoverned. “This resulted to the P65-million debt to the Kalangitan landill.”
Sangil and other opposition councilors including Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting say that the city’s annual budget before (under Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin who is now the congressman of Pampanga’s 1st District) was only around P500 million but garbage was managed properly and fees were paid religiously.
“Now, the annual budget is almost P1 billion under the Nepomuceno administration. So ano ngayon ang iisipin mo? Obvious na may irregularity di ba?” says Sangil in a phone interview.
Sec. Ed Pamintuan, former mayor of this city and now the chairman of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development Council, recounted that under his leadership, “we have all sorts of problem at that time and much worse.”
“Because our garbage dump site at that time was also covered with lahar, but we managed to maintain the place free from odor and had a small like material recovery facility,” he said in a text message.
“And because of that we landed in the top three cities with manageable waste disposal system,” Pamintuan added.
PIGGERIES TOO
The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) led by its chairman Ruperto “Perto” Cruz urged local officials and residents not just to focus on the garbage but “a deadlier pollution problem:” Foul smell-emitting piggeries and poultries in Barangays Sta. Cruz and Manibaug-Paralaya in nearby Porac town that also affects barangays and subdivisions here.
Citing the study of the US-based Hilton Kalusche of the Mississippi Safety and Environment Office, the PGKM said the piggeries release hydrogen sulfide in the air which instantly enters human beings.
The PGKM added that long-term exposure to hydrogen sulfide and foul smell emitted by piggeries could cause “sudden death.”
The anti-pollution campaign waged against Porac piggeries hit the politically powerful and influential Nepomucenos of Barangay Cutcut in this city.
Poultries and piggeries associated with Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Robin Nepomuceno in Cutcut allegedly contributes to the foul odor enveloping residential and commercial areas, including schools in the western part of the city and portions of Porac. The ABC president is the brother of Angeles City Mayor Francis “Blueboy” Nepomuceno. He is also a known friend of Porac Mayor Roger Santos who has been the butt of criticism for his alleged inaction on the Porac pollution problem.
Robin reportedly operates a poultry farm beside the Royal Golf and Country Club (RGCC) at boundaries of Cutcut and Porac. The golf course is co-owned by Cruz.
Cruz has urged the Environment and Management Bureau (EMB) to look into the direction of Cutcut to find “a clear and present danger to the health of nearby communities” allegedly poised by the Nepomuceno piggeries and poultries.
Robin said that he welcomed any inquiries as to the legitimacy of their poultry operation.
WHAT SOLUTION?
In a bid to come up with effective solutions on the worsening garbage problem, Salapungan Barangay Captain Robert Yeen urged concerned parties and groups to hold a garbage summit.
He said politics should not be included in solving this mess and Angeleños must unite to end the problem.
Councilor Maricel “Marang” Morales, a former beauty queen, said “we owe it to the public to provide a clean and safe environment but sadly, we are not going to that direction.”
City hall workers who talked to on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal said the city government has enough money to pay garbage fees in Kalangitan.
However, they say: “It’s just a matter of priorities. Managing and solving the city’s garbage problem is not Nepo’s priority.”
-By Joey Aguilar and Joey Pavia
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