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‘The accumulation of wastes could result to contamination of soil and groundwater due to the leaching of harmful substances. Additionally, the health of the local community is at risk,’ says COA in its Citizen Participatory Audit report
MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Gapan City government for allowing a material recovery facility (MRF) to be used as an open dumpsite, raising public health concerns.
In a Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) report released on November 6, COA said the MRF in Barangay Pambuan was only meant to be a transfer station for the sorting of recyclable and compostable material, and that residual waste is supposed to be brought to a sanitary landfill.
“The Central Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) of the City appears to have deviated from its intended purpose and seems to have become an open dumpsite due to accumulation of wastes for several months thus, posing risk of environmental degradation and potential health hazards,” the audit team said.
Based on an onsite inspection of the MRFs in the city’s 23 barangays, the facilities reflected only token compliance with the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or Republic Act 9003.
The MRFs were just small metal cages that were marked for bottles, cans, and plastic. The receptacles were placed either in narrow alleys or beside the barangay hall, with hardly any space to allow access of hauling trucks.
State auditors cited Section 25 of RA 9003 which prohibits the storage of solid waste for more than 24 hours, and Section 37 which penalizes the operation of an illegal dumpsite.
“The accumulation of wastes could result to contamination of soil and groundwater due to the leaching of harmful substances. Additionally, the health of the local community is at risk. The accumulation of wastes can produce foul odors and release harmful gases, such as methane, which can contribute to air pollution and respiratory problems,” the COA said.
A copy of the audit report was submitted to the office of Gapan Mayor Emary Joy Pascual on September 26, 2024.
The city government admitted that budgetary problems have hindered the timely hauling of trash from the MRFs. From 2021 to 2023, Gapan spent P63.86 million for hauling and tipping: P20.575 million in 2021, P21.012 million in 2022, and P23.274 million in 2023.
Gapan City’s acting City Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) informed the audit team that the city government signed a hauling and tipping contract with MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corporation only last year. This is partly due to the city government’s inability to establish its own sanitary landfill.
In response to the audit findings, Gapan City committed to clean up the accumulated trash at the Central MRF as well as to do a cost-benefit analysis on purchasing its own garbage trucks to bring down sanitation expenses.
It also assured the COA that the existing village MRFs would be transferred to a more accessible location and that they will be modified to serve as composting and transfer stations.
The members of the audit team include four COA personnel led by State Auditor V Lolita Escuadro. They were supported by five members of the Knights of Divina Pastora as civil society partners. – Rappler.com
