Dagupan mayor eyes dumpsite closure by yearend

DAGUPAN CITY, Pangasinan - The city government here is working double time to address the city's garbage problem at the open dumpsite in Barangay Bonuan Gueset as it targets full closure by yearend, Mayor Brian Lim said on Friday.

"We will make it into a controlled dumpsite, the end goal is to close the dumpsite so that Dagupan City will be compliant," Lim said in an interview, referring to the four-hectare dumpsite near the Tondaligan beach.

Lim and his team inspected the dumpsite facilities and the ongoing infrastructure projects at the Tondaligan National Park at Bonuan Gueset.

"We are also examining options, outsourcing even through the sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City and perhaps other places. It is a big headache, but we are going to do our best. What we are discussing a while back is that we will make it into a controlled dumpsite. We cannot totally close it yet because we have no alternative solutions," he said.

Lim said he wants the people of Dagupan to see the actual situation of the dumpsite.

"We do not want to hide this to the people. Let the media help us, whatever the problem of the city is, let's show the people, and let us work together to resolve it. There is no other agenda except to do our best," the mayor said.

Six years ago, Lim said the pile of garbage only covered about two hectares but it is now almost 3.5 hectares.

He said it was discussed during the Waste Management Summit that there were findings that leachate and other substances had been seeping to the adjacent beach.

Lim will be meeting and discuss with the 31 barangay chairpersons on Monday to help through segregation at the barangay level.

Other agenda will be the lack of functioning Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) as facilities they have at the barangays serve as a temporary garbage depot collected from the households and business establishments.

Meanwhile, Lim issued a moratorium on the sheds operating at the Tondaligan beach park, ordering instructed Park Administrator Jun Cadis to submit the names of the 78 shed owners.

"We understand, they are also trying to make a living, but at the same time, we cannot compromise the park as a whole because it does not look got to our guests and tourists," Lim said. (PNA)


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