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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) IX has confirmed that the City Government through the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) has already applied for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) last week for the City’s Sanitary Landfill.

DENR EMB IX Regional Director Sixto E. Tolentino Jr. said in an interview “Yan apply sila ECC last week. We will be getting mga experts, we have to form first the review committee then the public hearing which might be next week na Salaan.”

The experts according to Tolentino will be composed of an engineer, forester, and environmentalist. They will be answering questions and gathering feedbacks from the participants in the public hearing.

The OCENR have already submitted all the information regarding the project, a public hearing will follow, then the assessment from the experts, should there be no problem, the ECC will already be signed by the DENR, EMB IX Regional Director. 

According to Tolentino, the design and the mitigating measures for the sanitary landfill must be looked into. 
“What the office is looking for is for an environmentally acceptable, economically feasible, technically feasible, and a socially acceptable project. Be vigilant citizens and see if the project is being implemented as planned.” Tolentino said.

The Sanitary Landfill project will be funded by the City Government of Zamboanga worth P300 Million for 10.6 hectares of land.    
Two hundred tons of waste is being collected from the city everyday and at present, it is being dumped at the Lumbangan dumpsite.
R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management mandates all LGU’s to have a sanitary landfill.

“Assuming the evaluation of the experts reveals that they comply with the requirements and what they proposed are very viable, I don’t find any reason not to approve. Being a Zamboangueño, we will be very proud that we have a system in managing our waste.” Tolentino said.

By:R.G. Antonet Go