Businessmen told to follow environmental laws

ANGELES CITY—The city council has approved a resolution requiring all business establishments in this city to comply with the lawful waste management practices and environmental sanitation.

Sponsored by Councilor Jesus Sangil, the said resolution stipulated that the city government must control and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of all forms of wastes.

According to Sangil, there is a need to guide, control and regulate the generation, storage, collection, transportation and disposal of solid wastes within the city and promote an orderly and sanitary system, and adopt a systematic and ecological solid waste management program.

“There are pertinent environmental laws that must be followed in the establishment and operation of businesses not only in Angeles City but in other areas of the country, as well,” Sangil explained.

He added that proper and lawful environmental sanitation and waste management practices contribute to the campaign against the degradation of the environment.

The resolution furthered, that the city mayor shall issue the corresponding implementing rules and regulations (IRR) to enforce its provisions.

Copies of the said resolution will be distributed to all concerned government agencies and corporations, private institutions, all offices in the city government and all barangays of Angeles City.

“This is just one of the priorities of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan as the city was known before as one of the cleanest and greenest nationwide,” Sangil said.

In his inaugural address, Pamintuan immediately ordered the clearing of the illegal dump site at the Pampang compound of the Department of Public Services (DPS), which is very near the Pampang public market and Ospital Ning Angeles.

The previous administration owes about P63 million in garbage disposal fees, which constrained the Kalangitan sanitary landfill and hauling operators to stop their services.

“We have already negotiated with the operators of Kalangitan so we could resume services with them,” the mayor said.

Pamintuan also personally appealed to the good sense of responsible and civic-minded citizens and business establishments that own dump trucks to allow the city government, the use of their facilities for at least a month at very minimal cost to the city, just to rid the city of the garbage and the stink.

For a more permanent solution to the problem, and as a matter of policy, the new city administration shall foster collective responsibility among households and business establishments on waste disposal.

“We shall institute discipline on waste disposal, and reward those who adhere to such discipline,” the mayor added. (CIO)