The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to put up a sanitary landfill (SLF) in Cavite to help manage its garbage problem that is affecting the ongoing Manila Bay rehabilitation project.
The DENR said Cavite’s six major rivers — Imus, Zapote, Rio Grande-Ylang-Ylang, Cañas, Labac and Maragondon — all empty out into the Manila Bay.
“We cannot complete the rehabilitation of Manila Bay if we will not solve the garbage problem in the province. There is a very big connection between that… The only way for us to solve the problem of Manila Bay is to solve the garbage problem and water quality of the rivers in Cavite,” said DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu.
Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla said solid waste management is a problem in the region as an estimated 50 percent of solid waste in the province goes to its rivers accounting to approximately 2,000 tons a day, of which 90 percent goes to Manila Bay.
He added 21 of the 23 cities and municipalities of the province “do not have the capacity to put up their own solid waste facility because of the limitations of land” and appealed to the DENR to help in setting up an SLF.
The DENR said local government units in Cavite for the meantime may implement strategies to address the garbage problem. These could include the deployment of environmental marshals in barangays, influencing behavioral change, enforcement of policies and city ordinances and compliance of various industries and establishments in their areas of responsibility.
