It is strictly prohibited to burn garbage in Davao City with violators facing fines ranging from P300 to P5,000 to include possible imprisonment.
This was the stern warning issued by Virginia Pusod, head of the City Environment & Natural Office (CENRO) during the I-Speak press forum at the city engineer’s office on Thursday.
Penalties range from P300 to P5, 000, including mandatory seminar community service, and imprisonment for as long as six months or both. Violators are allowed to pay the fine within one week from the issuance of citation ticket.
Pusod said the penalties apply to those who do not segregate their garbage. “If you were caught for three times, you will be paying times three also,” she said.
She added that her office has introduced applied segregation at the dumpsite because it cannot impose segregation in some barangays.
She said Davao City residents who violate the solid waste disposal guide will be issued with fines and violations.
The CENRO has also strengthened its monitoring of the littering, scattering, throwing and dumping of waste matters in public places, non-segregation of solid waste, and open burning of solid wastes.
Pusod said her office has fielded teams that conduct daily inspection in the villages for the implementation of the Clean Air Act of 1999 as well as on the implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the act Providing for Ecological Solid Waste Management Program .
Pusod reminded the public that the open burning of solid waste is strictly prohibited in the city. She added that anyone who will be caught in the act of burning solid waste in an open area shall face penalty.
Penalties in violating the ordinance include fines ranging from P300 to P5, 000, including mandatory seminar community service, and imprisonment as long as six months. Violators are allowed to pay the fine within one (1) week from the issuance of citation ticket.
Out of 182 barangays in the city, 103 are accessible to garbage collectors. The rest could not avail themselves of the service due to distance. The CENRO is working out to provide the service to all barangays.
“The garbage that CENRO would accept is only residual (di-malata ug di namapuslan) or special waste (di malata, di mapuslan) and we are still implementing “No Segregation, No Collection Policy” ordinance and some barangays need to be educated,” said Pusod.
Pusod encouraged the Dabawenyos to abide with the ordinance, and to provide space in their backyard for biodegradable wastes, and collect and sold the recyclable materials.
She also urged every resident to study carefully the solid waste disposal guide and for comments and suggestions or any report violating the ordinance they may call the 24-hour hotline at 2440094 or 2272655.
