CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – “Don’t just be a mother but a governor as well invoking political will to address the garbage mess in Pampanga.”
Thus said environmentalist Sonny Dobles as he urged Governor Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda to close all illegal dumpsites in Pampanga following the failure of mayors and barangay captains to follow the provisions set by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, otherwise known as Republic Act 9003.
“It’s not just taking care of the people like a hardworking mother. But she should deal with the garbage problem like a determined public official tasked to apply the law when it’s blatantly violated,” said Dobles, head of the environment committee of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL).
Pineda has prioritized health care service in her administration.
Dobles said to achieve a healthy community is to simultaneously deal with the environmental problems affecting the health of people.
“Pineda may spend all her personal and public funds for health and the sick. But the only way to be effective in the field of health is to close all garbage dumps which are the major source of illness,” said Dobles.
Dobles said the governor has no option but to file administrative and criminal charges against all mayors and barangay officials for “utmost disregard” of RA 9003 signed into law ten years ago. He added that the law specifically tasks mayors and barangay captains to implement it, starting with segregation of waste at source and setting up material recovery facility.
“If the governor is not playing politics, we dare her administration to use strong resolve and political will to save the people from the degrading environment due to indiscriminate dumping of wastes and bring to jail those who deliberately violate the laws,” Dobles said.
Pampanga is reportedly Number 8 in the country in terms of waste generation and flagrant violation of environmental laws.
Dobles said the protection and preservation of the environment is imperative and the governor should be reminded that this is beyond patronage politics and friendship among local officials.
The governor has initiated several consultations and meetings on environment among the 5,370 barangay officials and all municipal mayors and other stakeholders.
However, the governor has expressed “disappointment” on the non-compliance of the local officials particularly the barangays on her call to put up material recovery facilities (MRFs) in their respective villages and her constant appeal to practice waste segregation scheme in every household has fallen in deaf ears.
Pineda said that aside from the illegal dumpsites, the tributaries, canals and the Pampanga River itself remain to be the biggest dumpsites of the province.
Dobles said “command responsibility and prudence dictate that the provincial chief executive as governor of the province should act now and show strong resolve before the waste dilemma may turn into a tragedy that we may regret to happen in the future.”
Thus said environmentalist Sonny Dobles as he urged Governor Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda to close all illegal dumpsites in Pampanga following the failure of mayors and barangay captains to follow the provisions set by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, otherwise known as Republic Act 9003.
“It’s not just taking care of the people like a hardworking mother. But she should deal with the garbage problem like a determined public official tasked to apply the law when it’s blatantly violated,” said Dobles, head of the environment committee of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL).
Pineda has prioritized health care service in her administration.
Dobles said to achieve a healthy community is to simultaneously deal with the environmental problems affecting the health of people.
“Pineda may spend all her personal and public funds for health and the sick. But the only way to be effective in the field of health is to close all garbage dumps which are the major source of illness,” said Dobles.
Dobles said the governor has no option but to file administrative and criminal charges against all mayors and barangay officials for “utmost disregard” of RA 9003 signed into law ten years ago. He added that the law specifically tasks mayors and barangay captains to implement it, starting with segregation of waste at source and setting up material recovery facility.
“If the governor is not playing politics, we dare her administration to use strong resolve and political will to save the people from the degrading environment due to indiscriminate dumping of wastes and bring to jail those who deliberately violate the laws,” Dobles said.
Pampanga is reportedly Number 8 in the country in terms of waste generation and flagrant violation of environmental laws.
Dobles said the protection and preservation of the environment is imperative and the governor should be reminded that this is beyond patronage politics and friendship among local officials.
The governor has initiated several consultations and meetings on environment among the 5,370 barangay officials and all municipal mayors and other stakeholders.
However, the governor has expressed “disappointment” on the non-compliance of the local officials particularly the barangays on her call to put up material recovery facilities (MRFs) in their respective villages and her constant appeal to practice waste segregation scheme in every household has fallen in deaf ears.
Pineda said that aside from the illegal dumpsites, the tributaries, canals and the Pampanga River itself remain to be the biggest dumpsites of the province.
Dobles said “command responsibility and prudence dictate that the provincial chief executive as governor of the province should act now and show strong resolve before the waste dilemma may turn into a tragedy that we may regret to happen in the future.”
