Mayor favors P202-M garbage collection fee

By Herbert P. Mapiles
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
CANDABA — Mayor Jerry Pelayo has reacted favorably to the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation’s (MCWMC) proposal involving the use of its collection and hauling system by the Provincial Government.
Pelayo said the P202-million garbage fee a year is reasonable, adding this would be even advantageous on the part of the province, considering that some towns are too far from the Kalangitan Sanitary Landfill, which is in Capas, Tarlac.
The mayor said he is estimating no less than P300 million as the total cost for the collection and hauling of the garbage produced by all 19 towns in the province.
“Mura na yung P202 million na hinihingi. Kasi isipin mo kokolektahin ang basura ng lahat ng bayan, at hahakutin papunta ng Kalangitan. May mga bayan tayong talagang malayo tulad ng Macabebe at mga kalapit bayan nito,” he pointed out.
He also said that he has no objection should the Provincial Government decide to get five percent from the annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of each municipality to cover the proposed P202-million garbage collection fee.
“Dito sa Candaba, priority natin ang basura dahil dyan nakasalalay ang kalusugan ng ating mga kababayan, kung kaya’t suportado natin yan, pabor tayo dyan,” Pelayo said.
The Provincial Board earlier approved a resolution enjoining all municipalities and barangays in Pampanga to allocate five percent of their IRA for their solid waste management programs.
Asked to comment on the proposed P2 garbage collection fee per household, Pelayo said this idea is also good to put an end to the garbage problem.
He said the amount that can be collected is also an additional fund to further strengthen the campaign against zero waste in the province.
Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on July 20, 2011.

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/07/19/mayor-favors-p202-m-garbage-collection-fee-167773