OFFICE OF HON. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR. | Deputy Majority Leader Representative, TGP Party-List:

PRIVILEGE SPEECH (Urgent Public Concern: Basura at Baha)

OFFICE OF HON. JOSE “BONG” J. TEVES, JR.

Deputy Majority Leader Representative, TGP Party-List

PRIVILEGE SPEECH

(Urgent Public Concern: Basura at Baha)

 

1. SPEAKER, DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

 

I RISE TODAY ON A MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC CONCERN—ANG PAULIT-ULIT NA PAGBAHA SA METRO MANILA AT ANG RESULTA NG IMPROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT NA NAGIGING SANHI NG MAS MALALANG PAGBAHA.

 

TUWING UMUULAN NANG MALAKAS DAHIL SA BAGYO O MATINDING HABAGAT, PARE-PAREHO NA LAMANG ANG ATING NAKIKITA:

 

1. ANG MGA KALSADA, NAGIGING ILOG;

 

2. ANG MGA KOMUNIDAD AT KABAHAYAN AY NALULUBOG SA BAHA;

 

3. ANG MGA NEGOSYO AY NAPIPILITANG MAGSARA;

 

4. ANG MGA EMPLEYADO AY HINDI MAKAPASOK SA OPISINA; AT

 

5. ANG MGA ESTUDYANTE AY HINDI MAKAPASOK SA PAARALAN;

 

NGUNIT SA ILALIM NG PAGBAHA NA ITO AY ISANG PROBLEMA NA HINDI NA DAPAT/NATIN/ IPAGSANTABI. OUR GARBAGE IS CLOGGING OUR WATERWAYS. PLASTIC BOTTLES, FOOD CONTAINERS, PLASTIC BAGS, SACHETS, STYROFOAM, HOUSEHOLD WASTE AND OTHER WASTE MATERIALS ARE ALWAYS FOUND IN CANALS, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, ESTEROS AND WATERWAYS.

 

WHEN THESE WATERWAYS BECOME CLOGGED, WATER HAS NOWHERE TO GO. AND WHEN THE RAIN COMES, THE GARBAGE BECOMES A FLOOD HAZARD.

 

1. SPEAKER, LET US BE CLEAR: FLOODING IS A COMPLEX PROBLEM. IT CANNOT BE BLAMED ON GARBAGE ALONE. METRO MANILA’S FLOODING IS AFFECTED BY INTENSE RAINFALL, LUMA AT MALILIIT NA DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, MGA BAGONG BUILDINGS, AT IBA PANG KAKULANGAN SA FLOOD-CONTROL INFRASTRUCTURE.

 

BUT PRECISELY BECAUSE FLOODING HAS MANY CAUSES, WE CANNOT AFFORD TO TOLERATE ONE MORE PROBLEM THAT IS ENTIRELY PREVENTABLE.

 

GARBAGE IN OUR WATERWAYS IS PREVENTABLE.

 

AND THE LAW HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT THIS FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES.

 

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9003, THE ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000, WAS ENACTED TO ESTABLISH A SYSTEMATIC, COMPREHENSIVE AND ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. IT DECLARED AS A POLICY OF THE STATE THE PROPER SEGREGATION, COLLECTION, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE, TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF SOLID WASTE.

 

MORE IMPORTANTLY, SECTION 10 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9003 PROVIDES THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE JURISDICTIONS.

 

THE NATIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION, MEANWHILE, IS MANDATED TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS, REVIEW AND MONITOR LOCAL PLANS, COORDINATE WITH LOCAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARDS, PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO LGUS, DEVELOP POLICIES, AND ESTABLISH MECHANISMS FOR SANCTIONS FOR VIOLATIONS. NGUNIT, MR. SPEAKER, ANO NA NGA BA ANG NAGAGAWA NG NATIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION? PARANG HINDI NAMAN NILA NATUTUTUKAN ANG PROBLEMA SA BASURA SA ATING BANSA.

 

BARANGAYS ARE TASKED WITH SEGREGATION AND COLLECTION OF BIODEGRADABLE, COMPOSTABLE AND REUSABLE WASTES. RAISES

 

CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLECTION OF NON-RECYCLABLE MATERIALS AND SPECIAL WASTES. CITY AND MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT BOARDS ARE REQUIRED TO PREPARE AND IMPLEMENT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS. AT ITONG MGA PLANO NA ITO AY HINDI LAMANG MGA PALAMUTI AT MGA DOKUMENTONG WALANG SILBI. DAPAT ANG MGA PLANONG ITO AY NAGRERESULTA NG PATUNAY NA DAPAT MAY WASTE REDUCTION, SEGREGATION, COLLECTION, RECYCLING, COMPOSTING, RECOVERY AND PROPER DISPOSAL.

 

NGUNIT NAKAKALUNGKOT PO, MR. SPEAKER, DAHIL AFTER MORE THAN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9003, PATULOY NATING NAKIKITA ANG TAMBAK-TAMBAK NA MGA BASURA SA ATING MGA WATERWAYS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT OUR COMMUNITIES FROM FLOODING.

 

1. SPEAKER, IF WE ALREADY HAVE THE LAW, THEN WHY ARE WE STILL FAILING TO IMPLEMENT IT?

 

THE PROBLEM IS IMPLEMENTATION. THE PROBLEM IS ENFORCEMENT. THE PROBLEM IS COORDINATION. AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, THE PROBLEM IS GOVERNMENT IN/EFFICIENCY.

 

NGUNIT, MR. SPEAKER, DAPAT BIGYAN PANSIN DIN NATIN KUNG BAKIT ANG IBANG MGA MALILIIT NA BAYAN AY HIRAP ITONG IPATUPAD.

 

SAPAGKAT ANG MGA MALILIIT NA BAYAN, LALO NA SA MGA MALALAYONG PROBINSYA, KUNG SAAN ANG KANILANG NATIONAL TAX ALLOTMENT AY SAPAT LAMANG PARA SA PA-SWELDO SA KANILANG MGA EMPLEYADO AT IBANG OPERATING EXPENSES, AY TALAGANG HIRAP SILANG IPATUPAD ANG BATAS NA ITO DAHIL SA KAKULANGAN SA PONDO. ALAM KO PO ITO DAHIL NAGING MAYOR PO AKO NG TATLONG TERMINO NG ISANG 4TH CLASS MUNICIPALITY SA AMING BAYAN SA BARAS, CATANDUANES.

 

SUBALIT, MR. SPEAKER, PAANO NAMAN ANG IBANG MALALAKING SYUDAD AT BAYAN, KUNG SAAN MALAKI ANG KANILANG INCOME? KUNG SAAN KAYA NILANG MAG-KONTRATA NG MGA GARBAGE HAULERS? BAKIT NANANATILI PA RIN ANG PAGBAHA NG BASURA KASABAY NG PAGBAHA NG TUBIG TUWING MALAKAS ANG ULAN? BAKIT HINDI PA DIN NATIN NAKIKITA ANG MAGANDANG RESULTA NG KANILANG MGA SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS?

 

 

1. SPEAKER, MISMONG SI OMBUDSMAN BOYING REMULLA AY NAG SIWALAT KAMA-KAILAN NA MAY IBANG MALALAKING SYUDAD ANG MAY KORAPSYON DAHIL SA BASURA. SINASADYA NILANG HINDI IPATUPAD ANG KANILANG SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS NILA DESPITE THEIR CAPA/BI/LITY, DAHIL MAS KUMI/KITA SILA SA KANILANG GARBAGE HAULER NA PER TRIP O PER TRUCK BASIS ANG KITAAN.

 

1. SPEAKER, KUNG MAYROONG KASABIHAN NA “MAY PERA SA BASURA” … MAYROON DIN “KORAPSYON SA BASURA”. AT KUNG MAY KATOTOHANAN ANG SINABI NI OMBUDSMAN REMULLA, DAPAT MAY NAKAKASUHAN AT NAKUKULONG DIN DAHIL SA BASURA… AT HINDI PURO FLOOD-CONTROL ISSUE LANG ANG NAKAKASUHAN. SAPAGKAT ANG PROBLEMA SA BASURA AT PROBLEMA SA FLOOD CONTROL AY MAY IISANG RESULTA LAMANG: PAREHONG LUBOG ANG TAONGBAYAN.

 

1. SPEAKER, I CALL ON OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, ESEPECIALLY THE RECENTLY APPOINTED SECRETARY OF DENR – ATTY. JUAN MIGUEL CUNA, WHO ALSO ACTS AS CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT COMMISSION TO IMMEDIATELY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT.

 

AT SA ATING DILG SECRETARY JONVIC REMULLA, NA SIYANG MAY HAWAG SA MGA LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS, SANA AY MATUTUKAN ANG BAWAT LGU NA MAIPATUPAD NG TAMA ANG KANILANG MGA SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANS.

 

DAPAT MAGTULUNGAN AT UMAKSYON NA TAYO AGAD-AGAD, WAG NA NATING HINTAYIN NA MAGKAROON PA NG PANIBAGONG BAGYO O HABAGAT PARA AYUSIN ANG PROBLEMA NATIN SA BASURA. OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.

 

I ALSO ASK OMBUDSMAN BOYING REMULLA, NA SANA AY IMBESTIGAHAN DIN NIYA ANG MGA BAYAN AT SYUDAD NA MAY ISSUE SA BASURA NA KANIYANG SINABI PARA TULUYANG MATIGIL NA ANG KORUPSYON SA BASURA SA ATING BANSA. TULAD NG SINABI NIYA, MAYROON PA DIN NAMANG MGA SYUDAD AT BAYAN ANG HINDI SANGKOT SA KORAPSYON SA BASURA TULAD NI QUEZON CITY MAYOR JOY BELMONTE AT PASIG CITY MAYOR VICO SOTTO. BAKA MAYROON PANG IBANG MGA HINDI KASAMA DITO.

 

1. SPEAKER, WE MUST STOP TREATING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AS A SECONDARY CONCERN, DAHIL ITO PO AY ISANG MAJOR CONCERN DAHIL TAYONG LAHAT AY APEKTADO TUWING MAY BARADONG CANAL AT ESTERO NA NAGIGING SANHI NG PAGBAHA.

 

THE RECURRING FLOODING OF METRO MANILA SHOULD THEREFORE BE A WAKE-UP CALL.

 

THE GARBAGE IN OUR WATERWAYS IS VISIBLE. THE LAW IS CLEAR. THE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE DEFINED.

 

WHAT REMAINS IS FOR GOVERNMENT TO DO ITS JOB.

 

R.A. 9003 NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED EVERY DAY. AND IF GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE FAILING TO DO SO, THEN IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS LEGISLATORS TO DEMAND ANSWERS, DEMAND ACTION, AND DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY.

 

THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER.