Gerona – – Millions are wasted from unsegregated garbage.
Thus said Mayor Eloy Eclar as he bats for stricter segregation of household waste to save at least P4 Million which will be used to augment the scholarship fund and purchase more medicines.
“Nakapanghihinayang ang gastos sa paghahakot at pagtatapon ng basura sa landfill sa Capas. Sa tamang segrasyon ng basura malaki ang matitipid na puwedeng magamit sa karagdagang scholars at pambili ng gamut”, said Eclar in an exclusive interview.
Eclar revealed the municipal government is spending P825 per cubic meter in “tipping fee” and hauling of household waste to the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) landfill in Caps town most of which are biodegradable materials.
“As of June 30, ubos na ang P4.257 Million budget for waste disposal at malamang aabot ng P9 Million ang gastos ngayong taon sa pagtatapon ng basura (sa MCWMC) habang ang pondo sa scholarship ay P3 Million lamang”, said Eclar.
“From 2.4 Million ginawa na nating P3 Million ang scholarship fund at yearly dadagdagan pa ito ng P500,000 per year pero kulang na kulang pa rin ang pondo dahil ngayon, meron lang tayong 90 college at 164 high school scholars”, added Eclar.
This municipality provides P6,000 per semester, or P12,000 per year, allowance to the 90 college scholars and P6,500 per year to support the 164 “deserving high school students”.
Under the law, Republic Act 9003, local government units are mandated to “throw” their garbage to sanitary sandfill facilities. The nearest is the MCWMC landfill in Capas town some 50 kilometers away where almost all the LGUs in Central Luzon deliver their waste.
“Disiplinado at seryosong segresayon lamang ng bawat kabahayan ang dapat gawin para mabawasan ng mahigit kalahati ang tinatapong basura. Mga biodegradables ay hindi na dapat pahakot. This way we could save more than P4 Million”, Eclar stressed.
The savings according to Eclar will be used to fund the scholarship of more than 200 college students and 300 high school students and to purchase more medicines given free by the municipality./Nelson Bolos