At least 1, 283 individuals have been issued citation tickets for non-compliance with Cebu City’s garbage segregation policy, a month since mayor Michael Rama ordered the Inayawan sanitary landfill closed to unsegregated garbage.
Councilor Nida Cabrera said half of those issued with citation tickets opted to immediately pay the compromise fee of P500.
The rest have 15 more days to appear before her city hall office and pay the compromise fee to prevent the filing of a complaint for the violation of the Ecological Solid Waste Act of 2001 and city’s garbage ordinance.
“I would suggest to Mayor Michael Rama to conduct a fishbowl method, where names of the violators (with unpaid penalties) will be drawn (from to determine who will be charged first),” Cabrera said.
Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as The Ecological Solid Waste Act of 2001, prohibits people from the indiscriminate disposal of garbage.
It also requires the segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
The Cebu City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET) has been tasked to implement the garbage laws.
CESET personnel monitor residents who litter city streets and dispose their garbage in bodies of water like rivers.
Aside from going after violators, Cabrera said the city government wanted to bring to the different households its waste segregation campaign.
“Our highlight this month is (to campaign for) individual participation and awareness,” she said.
Cabrera said they are now beginning to overcome the “birth pains” that they encountered during the first few days of implementing the garbage laws.
She added that barangay officials are now becoming more cooperative.
