Green House Pa-effect?

SOMETHING SMELLS!

Negros Daily Bulletin

By Alan S. Gensoli

The mission of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance is to impel government to find lasting solutions to the flooding problem of Bacolod. Now that the Bacolod LGU has begun the collection of segregated garbage only, and since unsegregated garbage is a major cause of flooding, that mission seems to have been accomplished. Has it?

Coincidentally, too, on March 31, 2009, the day before the government launched its “No Segregation, No Collection” policy, the Banat Baha TV show of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance ended its third season. Just as well, it would seem, as if to say that the Banat Baha had done its job and it was time to put the camera away. Is it?

A fortnight ago today, the alliance held its monthly general membership meeting. The accomplishments of the Banat Baha were recalled and applauded. This has been a project of so many individuals, but especially of Dr. Elsie Coscolluela, the Executive Producer, and Rene Hinojales, the host of the show. Michael Varca was the show’s producer/director/writer/researcher all rolled into one.

Customary in our monthly meeting is the presentation of committee reports. We have nine standing committees: Communications, Education, Finance, Legal, Membership, Monitoring, New Business, Secretariat, and Special Events. Let me share with you highlights from two of these reports as these are most significant at this point in time.

The Monitoring Committee, co-chaired by Norman Campos and Maite Elorde, reported on two issues that had been left unfinished, unattended since the time the Bacolod LGU fired us from the Bacolod Flood Mitigating Committee in November 2008. The construction of the floodway at Brgy. Banago is nowhere near completion. And that green house on top of the Banago Creek is still there, together with other illegal structures, squatter shanties in fact, all obstructing the water flow. Their stilts continue to collect garbage coming from their fellow illegal structures upstream, and for sure they continue to pooh pooh straight into the creek, fecal coliform and all! But of all, the green house stands proud. Mainit sa mata. With its bold color in a canvas of ashen grey and putrid brown, the green house seems to brag to the world: “Hey, look at me, I’m on top of a creek and no one can do anything about it! Not even the city government!” Bah, humbug.

Just before we were fired from the Mitigating Committee in November last, we were told that these illegal structures had already been identified and scheduled for demolition. We know none has been demolished. We also know that these are not new structures but the same old illegal structures that we talked about last year. How do we know that? Because of the green house. It has become a reference point, thank you.

Meanwhile, the floodway is also not done. The DPWH has rip-rapped some 270 meters worth of floodway. Not only is this not enough, the 270 meters are not contiguous. For some reason, those who constructed this created several giant bath tubs, now filled with stagnant, black, filthy, stenchy, yucky water with nowhere to empty? Another 500 meters need to be dug up and the Bacolod LGU has offered to do the job, after which the DPWH will construct the rip-rap. This has not yet been dug up, our Norman Campos reported.

Meanwhile, our Education Committee, co-chaired by Joel Jaquinta and Maggie Jalandoni, reported on the Solid Waste Management (SWM) seminar held for the Business Inn and Planta Centro Hotel. I wrote about this in a recent column, but I have more insight to add, especially valuable to private enterprises.

Coming out of that seminar, Joel observed that the simplified steps and procedures featured in the flyer distributed by the Bacolod LGU may not be summarily applicable to all enterprises. Perhaps, the simplified steps are applicable in most homes, but not in businesses where the size and type of operations greatly vary. For instance, a restaurant with a seating capacity of 25 and another with a seating capacity of 50 will generate different loads of garbage. In another case, a fine dining restaurant and a turo-turo will also generate different kinds of garbage.

Another area where adjustments may have to be made is in the schedule of garbage pick-ups. Enterprises should adjust to the schedule that the city has planned out. For instance, according to the government’s pick up schedule, residual wastes will be collected on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only. What then should a busy restaurant do with its garbage on other days? A popular fastfood-type establishment using disposable materials (such as plastic bags, plates, utensils, cups and tumblers, styro food containers) will have to put mitigating measures in place to prevent itself from smelling and from being inundated with bugs and ants if it has to wait for 48 hours before the next pick up. For this reason, an SWM seminar especially designed to address the unique needs of an establishment is recommended. And our Joel Jaquinta is available for that. For a reasonable fee, of course. You may contact him through his cellular phone number, 0920-637-8557.

With these reports from our Monitoring and Education committees, these questions are once more begged: Has the mission of the Bacolod Anti-Baha Alliance been achieved with the start of the collection of segregated garbage on April 1? Has the Banat Baha TV show fulfilled its objectives, or outgrown its purpose after three seasons? If our last monthly meeting would have it, uh-uh. There’s just so much more monitoring and educating to do. So, don’t be surprised, because when you least expect it, “Smile!”, you’re on Banat Baha camera!

A Happy Easter to all!