By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY — Members of the Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) took turns asking ProTech Machineries Corporation’s Vice President Luis Lu Jr. why his company was not complying with its contract with the city government on trash disposal.

Lu who snubbed past invitations from the city council answered questions from the irate councilors for more than three hours. He however did not satisfy the city officials with his reasons why his company stopped hauling the residual waste of Baguio.

According to the trash company official, they stopped collecting residual garbage on August 13, 2011 after the trash slide at Irisan dump site. Lu said they tried to haul garbage in October but halted in January because of the absence of a sorting area. He then again drew the ire of the councilors after he said that they will resume hauling out the city’s residual waste only after they are given 150 square meters land to use as a transfer and sorting station.

City Environment and Parks management Office Chief Cordelia Lacsamana said they allotted an area in Irisan dump site. She said it can no longer be accessed because of the Temporary Environment Protection Order (TEPO) and Writ of Kalikasan ordered by the Supreme Court and thereby closing the garbage facility.

CEPMO earlier asked for the realignment of funds amounting to P82 million to cover hauling fees and other expenses needed to get rid of Baguio’s waste.

After learning that a portion of their Community Development Funds (CDFs) was sufficient to cover the needed amount, the councilors approved P27 million to support the temporary measure in addressing the garbage problem.

Lu said that they need the 150 square meters area so that they can start the mechanization of the garbage segregation process. He also said that they have to set up machines with conveyor belts. The councilors were irked again after Lu said that it will take them three months to install the needed machines to start operating.

Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas repeatedly reminded Lu to comply with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of his company and the city government. He also reprimanded Lu for seemingly giving his own interpretation of residual wastes and even asking the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) definition to limit it only to plastics.

In the MOA, residual waste includes tin cans, rubber, clothings among others. Lu insisted that based on their company’s interpretation, they are only obliged to take care of four percent of the City’s garbage.

Fariñas said Protech should follow what is in the MOA and haul out all residual waste. The Vice Mayor also demanded that Lu should stop making “palusot” or excuses.

He told Lu that the city has spent much of the taxpayers money taking up the agreed responsibilities that the trash firm failed to comply with.

Councilor Perlita Chan-Rondez said that according to the MOA, Protech must pay the City P2,500 per ton of unhauled garbage. She stressed that the garbage company will pay a huge amount if they will account the unhauled residual garbage from the day they stop hauling.

The councilors also questioned Protech for not fulfilling its obligation to buy back the organic fertilizer produced by the expensive Environmental Recycling System Machines (ERS). Protech has promised the city to purchase the fertilizers at P6 per kilo. But until now, 18,000 sacks of unsold fertilizer amounting to P3.4 million is waiting for disposal in Irisan.

But Lu said that they had not yet been able to get the necessary permits to sell from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA). Rondez said that Protech made them believe that they already had the authority to do so. “Sana noon niyo pa sinabi sa amin,” she irritably said.

The council gave Protech a last chance to fulfill its promises. But they also said they will file the appropriate charges against the waste company and return the ERS machines once they will again fail. The councilors approved a portion of the city proposed housing area in Irisan be given to Protech for their sorting station. # nordis.net