The local government of Manila advised residents in the city to segregate their wastes properly.
“Hinihikayat po namin ang bawat Manilenyo na makiisa at mag-segregate ng ating mga basura (We are encouraging residents to coordinate and participate in proper waste segregation),” Kayle Nicole Amurao, Department of Public Services (DPS) officer, said on Wednesday, May 10.
Under City Ordinance No. 8371 or the “Provision of Environmental Code for the City of Manila,” wastes need to be segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes before turning over to the DPS garbage collectors.
The city has ordered garbage collectors not to accept trash bins and sacks that contain unsegregated garbage.
According to the “Segregated Waste Collection Schedule” implemented by the DPS, biodegradable wastes will be collected every Monday to Wednesday and Friday to Sunday, while non-biodegradable wastes every Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday.
Residents who violate the ordinance will be penalized.
A fine of P600 will charged for first offense; P1,500 for second offense; and P2,000 or not less than one day of imprisonment for third offense.
Amurao also presented a list of wastes that can be considered recyclable. She advised residents to sell the recyclable wastes to the city’s junk shops or to turn over to barangay’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) officer.
She added that biodegradable wastes can also be used for fertilizer.
“Kaya sa pangunguna ng ating butihing mayor, Mayor Honey Lacuna Pangan kami po ay humihingi ng tulong sa inyo na tayo ay magkaisa sa pagse-segregate ng ating basura upang mabawasan ang mga basura na bumabara sa ating mga kanal na isa sa mga dahilin na isa ng pagbaha dito sa ating lungsod. Tayong lahat ay magbayanihan para sa mas malinis na kapaligiran (Under the leadership of our good mayor, Mayor Honey Lacuna Pangan, we are asking for your help to unite in segregating our garbage to reduce the garbage that clogs our canals, which is one of the causes of flooding here in our city. Let's all help each other for a cleaner environment),” she expressed.