WITH some conditions, members of the City Council voted to declare Baguio under a state of calamity.
This after an urgent request from Mayor Mauricio Domogan to gain access to an estimated P100 million calamity funds to be used for the clearing operations of the trash slide from Irisan dumpsite and for the delivery of assistance for the affected families.
Councilors, during its special session Wednesday, made department heads explain the Irisan dumpsite tragedy before deciding to place the city under a state of calamity.
City Environment Parks Management Office head Cordelia Lacsamana claimed the abnormal volume of accumulated water brought by Typhoon Mina and water accumulated in the dumpsite prior to the typhoon probably led to the destruction of the retaining wall.
Lacsamana said they will conduct a thorough investigation on what caused the tragedy and will study remedial measures the department has to take after the consolidated report from various coordinating agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management and Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
But several councilors remained unconvinced it was abnormal accumulation of rainwater in the dumpsite that caused the wall’s collapse.
Councilors Peter Fianza and Nicasio Aliping claimed the non-hauling of residual wastes to Protech Machinery’s facility in Rosales, Pangasinan and the continued use of the dumpsite as temporary staging area of residual wastes led to the retaining wall’s collapse.
This was backed by City Engineer Leo Bernardez’s report to the Council, stating newly piled garbage hit the upper portion of the retaining wall resulting to its collapse.
Fianza claimed the non-compacted residual wastes, which were supposed to be hauled, might have caused the destabilization of the more than 100-meter high dumpsite, which was further exacerbated by the strong rains and huge concentration of water, which welled up in the site.
This high pressure caused the upper portion of the wall to collapse followed by other parts which resulted to the spillover of more than 1,500 tons of garbage in Asin Road barangay.
Local legislators also questioned the design of the retaining wall, which does not have weeping holes for water to seep through.
Bernardez said placing weeping holes is not possible, claiming environmental guidelines do not allow them to create these holes as leachate (garbaged saturated water) might pass through them and contaminate water supply and add pollution to the city’s water supply and other neighboring areas.
He added that design of the retaining wall was deemed capable of holding the garbage pile by designers who built it.
Fianza, the city’s former administrator, meanwhile suggested for City Environment and Parks Management Authority (Cempo) to study the total closure of the dumpsite instead of restoring it.
Clearing operations to open two lanes of Asin Road is expected to be completed Thursday, while remaining rubbish in the collapsed based on official estimate would take at least three weeks.
Useless ERS?
The Council also questioned what seemed to be the useless purchase of the P128-million Environmental Recycling System by the City Government from Protech last year aimed to reduce the city’s garbage by half and reduce costs of the city’s hauling of its garbage to Capas, Tarlac.
They said at first the hauling of the city’s residual waste was offered by Protech machineries, importer of the city’s Japan-made ERS system at no cost to the city. However, lately, the company allegedly backslid and decided to charge the city at least P20 million for the hauling of garbage to its facility in dumpsite facility in Rosales, Pangasinan.
Councilor Elmer Datuin questioned the city’s use of funds for another round of hauling activities and cited tipping fees the City Government will pay Urdaneta City for the hauling of part of the trash slide comprising at least 220 tons of garbage, which results to an estimated P25 million in expenses.
This eventual hauling caused by the incident, he said, means the city has not really saved on hauling expenses but instead will be incurring more expenses in the future because of the spillover trash, which needs to be hauled to other places.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan, in his weekly Ugnayang Panlungsod, claimed Protech already started hauling residual wastes to Capas, Tarlac last June.
This was, however, refuted by some critics of his administration, claiming the residual wastes are still being temporarily stored in the Irisan dumpsite while waiting for hauling to Rosales.
According to Domogan, the residual waste not sent to Rosales, was returned to the city because they were not properly segregated and are composed mostly of biodegradable wastes.
He earlier claimed city residents should remain disciplined in segregating their wastes, as this will help solve the city’s garbage problems.
Protech executives, meanwhile, assured the mayor they will immediately haul the residual garbage, as was agreed upon by the city and their company.
Mayor to face raps
Lawyer Jose Molintas earlier called on concerned residents to join him in getting persons directly involved in the construction of the collapsed retaining wall and non-closure of the dumpsite be held responsible for their actions.
He claimed what happened is not forced majeure or an “act of god,” as the creation of the retaining wall is already a reason the mountain of garbage in the dumpsite will eventually fall to areas below the dumpsite.
“They should have foreseen this,” the lawyer said, stressing some officials should be made accountable for reckless imprudence or negligence in doing their work that caused the death of at least five people and destroyed properties.
Domogan said after the disaster, finger pointing and fault finding should not be the priority but instead stressed immediate action such as the clearing of the rubbish and assistance to the victims should be done first.
However, at the City Council’s inquiry on Thursday, city social welfare officers claimed financial assistance amounting to P20,000 for every casualty and at least P10,000 for damaged properties have not been released to affected families for the past three days since the state of calamity has not yet been raised, as of Wednesday morning and the long holiday.
Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III extended P10,000 financial aid to the victims of the tragedy through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Domogan faced his critics, saying some elected officials and politicians would take advantage of the situation than do what they can to solve the garbage problem than criticize.
“I will face and defend myself in any case that might be filed,” he stressed.
The mayor promised to defend the City Government.
Meanwhile, the City Council will conduct further inquiry on the matter in succeeding sessions as part of its conditions in declaring the city under state of calamity.
Related story: Residents urged to file raps vs officials over trash slide
