Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
We all know that the rainy season is coming, even while the warnings about danger-level heat index in many parts of the country are still being issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
Recently, the state weather bureau said the onset of the rainy season may happen during the first half of June. In 2023, the onset of the rainy season was officially declared on June 2.
The reminders to prepare for the rainy season are still issued every year, not only by PAGASA, but also by other government agencies whose functions include efficient services that can be affected by the change of season. One of them is the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) whose functions also include addressing the problem of flooding and traffic flow.
Recently, the MMDA appealed to the residents of the National Capital Region (NCR) to observe proper waste disposal so as to avoid clogging the drainage systems to prevent flooding which will exacerbate the traffic problem.
MMDA said flood mitigation measures have been stepped up in the past weeks but flooding may still be experienced in some areas mostly due to improper waste disposal. The MMDA has identified 80 flood-prone areas in Metro Manila.
Regular work on flood prevention measures is done by the MMDA, the local government units and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). And yet, flooding still is a major problem during the rainy season.
Instilling a sense of responsibility to dispose of waste properly because that act will contribute to flooding, traffic, and pollution needs more than laws and information campaigns. To encourage an individual to dispose waste properly as an act of a responsible citizen needs the presence of waste disposal facilities and the support of a regular garbage collection system in every barangay.
In an environment forum early this year, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos disclosed that only “1,107 out of the 1,634 LGUs all over the country have access to sanitary facilities. More or less, 500 LGUs do not have access to sanitary landfills. The question is: Where do they dispose their waste?”
There are still many areas not only in Metro Manila where piles of garbage bags are left for days, likely because there is no regular – or no existing –garbage collection system there.
Recently, barangay officials in a town in Abra were cited by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for “severe disregard for human rights” for a barangay ordinance that proposed “execution or death penalty” for the third offense of illegal garbage dumping. In a statement, the CHR said the ordinance and the subsequent posting of tarpaulin showing a picture of a gun that connotes execution or death as penalty for the third offense “trivialize” the most fundamental right of all – the right to life.
While we do not support an ordinance that trivializes life, dissecting what led to that improper act which got the barangay officials suspended may show the exasperation of some local officials over implementing proper garbage disposal. In that case, the barangay officials set penalties starting with ₱1,000 for the first offense.
It is a fact – proper disposal of waste needs a facility and a system that citizens can see and trust to be a regular service. It especially needs citizens to act responsibly and dispose of their garbage properly. These two factors can be the start of keeping the floods away this rainy season.
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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph
