ANGELES CITY – The Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) said it will seek the assistance of the City Mayor’s Office to look into the alleged indiscriminate burning of garbage here which has been the subject of complaints from residents and business establishments.
Sonny Dobles, chair of the PGKM’s environment desk, said the group’s monitoring team reported that for more than a week heavy smoke has been emanating from still undetermined areas in the boundaries of Angeles City and nearby Porac town.
“We are planning to schedule a dialogue with Mayor (Edgardo) Pamintuan, not only to raise our concerns on this looming garbage crisis, but most importantly ask him to investigate the problem,” Dobles said.
He said the PGKM suspects that the smoke, which is accompanied by a foul stench, could come from barangays Margot, Cuayan, Anunas, all in Angeles City, and Manuali in Porac town, which all have open dumpsites.
He added that though these dumpsites have already been ordered closed by their respective local governments, the garbage that is still left there could have been burned instead of being disposed or dumped in sanitary landfills.
Dobles noted that the remaining garbage in the dumpsites should be properly disposed in sanitary landfills.
He also discouraged the practice of burying industrial and commercial wastes because buried waste leads to methane buildup which contributes to global warming.
“More than its health risks, the heavy smoke could also cause zero visibility to commercial and cargo aircraft plying the Clark airport route,” warned Dobles.
He also noted that an unresolved garbage problem is “anti-investment,” which will easily drive away investors from bringing their businesses to Angeles City or in nearby towns.
“A garbage problem is always an investment hazard. Instead of attracting local and international companies, a garbage crisis will drive away investors,” Dobles said.
