Greetings.
I would like to express my gratitude for this very rare opportunity given to me by our Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to represent him in this very significant affair. Much as he is willing to be with you today, he cannot do so because he has an equally important commitment today. As his alter ego at the Regional level, I am happy to be part of the history of Ormoc City for this launching and inauguration of this state-of-the-art Ecowaste Center that includes a Solid Waste Management Recycling Center and Sanitary Landfill.
For us at the DENR, this is indeed a memorable event to reckon with. Why? Because, if we can go back to the time when the City of Ormoc started the operation of its centralized composting in Barangay Green Valley in January 2005, so many things had happened until the full operationalization of this 55.5 million pesos worth of Sanitary Landfill facility.
We can say that the DENR is very much involved in this laudable project. Through our Environmental Management Bureau, we assisted the closure and rehabilitation of the previous open dumpsite and issued Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for this Eco Waste Center and other forms of technical assistance together with other concerned agencies.
Kung baga, we were working together through thick and thin to realize this project now and we feel extremely happy for this. This calls for a celebration.
At this junction, allow the DENR management to congratulate the City of Ormoc through Mayor Eric Codilla and all the agencies and sectors who took the cudgels of completing this project. I am sure this would not only redound to the benefit of the people of Ormoc and its neighboring towns but the entire environment as a whole.
Needless to explain the details, there is much importance of having this facility, especially now that we are experiencing the threats and impacts of global warming and climate change. On the ecological side, this well managed Semi Aerobic Sanitary Landfill (SLF) will reduce the clutter of disease causing garbage on the streets and reduce the release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. On the economic side, activities and operation of the SLF will generate employment and livelihood opportunities like, recyclers, composters, equipment operators and others.
Gone are the days that Barangays where dumpsites were located, shun this type of facility in their area. Our dumpsites before were not sanitary so to speak and not well maintained and managed that they only become eye sores and pollution sources and harbor of diseases.
Today, I believe, that this state of the art SLF using modern sanitary technologies would not pose health hazard to nearby communities. Thanks to the government of Germany and the Philippine government for providing funds for this project.
I would then like to delve on prolonging the utility of this SLF. Some sources say that GARBAGE is something we are willing to pay to get rid of. If we are not willing to pay to get rid of it, then it would be a commodity of value. What I am emphasizing is, we should focus on recycling our excess materials. This would provide extra income while minimizing waste materials to be disposed to the SLF. According to sources, current average waste composition of Ormoc City is 42 % residual wastes, 48% biodegradable wastes, and the remaining 10% are recyclable materials. Per projected waste disposal volume of the new SLF, it can accommodate 77,522 tons of waste until 2017. Let us therefore aim to intensify our recycling efforts and technologies so that we can reduce the projected volume (tons) of garbage to be generated and to be disposed to the SLF.
Prolonging the usability of this SLF would then be the great challenge for all of us starting from the waste management strategies, to waste management policies and technologies and most importantly capacitating, value formation and discipline of the constituents on waste minimization and proper waste management so that less waste will be generated and disposed to the SLF.
Though there are other strategies of managing garbage such as incineration, recycling and upcycling which has its own nuances of applicability and carbon impacts, having this SLF is a great advantage with great challenge for all of us at the moment. Let us just be aware that having this SLF would just partly solve our environmental problems in this part of the country, especially so for Ormoc City which is a vulnerable City and which is a record breaker when it comes to death toll resulting from natural disasters and calamities…remember the Ormoc tragedy in 2005.
In addition to this very important project, let me also remind each and every one of you how overly concerned our present dispensation, under the leadership of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III. Relative to carbon and other GHG sequestration through proper solid waste management as one functional role of this SLF, President Aquino issued in February this year, Executive Order No. 26, implementing the National Greening Program. This practically involves all government agencies and the private sector and mobilizes the students in this most ambitious tree growing program.
He also issued Executive Order No 23, banning the cutting and harvesting of naturally growing trees and organizing anti illegal logging task forces to help in the protection of the remaining forests of the country.
We hope that with this new breakthrough in our waste management effort, and the government’s strategy of bringing back the health of our environment, the effects of global warming and climate change would somehow be mitigated. Let us not wait for another Ormoc tragedy to ruin decades of development. Let us dispose our garbage properly so that we can prolong the use of this SLF and let us cooperate sustainable development activities and make Ormoc and neighboring towns an ecologically safe and healthy place for all.
Thank you and good afternoon.
Source:
http://r8.denr.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/history/87-regional-articles-default/231-inauguration