Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Tuesday said he will not allow the Quezon City government to dump its garbage anywhere in the city.
Contrary to reports, Estrada clarified he has not given any permission to anyone to use the Vitas dump in Tondo as an alternative waste disposal site, or any other available garbage dumps in the capital city.
Quezon City is searching for a new site to offload its garbage after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources shuttered the Payatas sanitary landfill within the city, citing numerous violations and pending its rehabilitation.
“Puede ba ‘yun? Wala pang permit ‘yun. Papayag ba ‘kong tambakan kami ng basura dito? [Is that possible? Vitas does not have any facility. Am I going to allow it?]” Estrada said, reacting suggestions from various sectors to allow Quezon City to temporarily dump its excess garbage at the Vitas Marine Loading Station.
“Ano, magiging basurahan kami? [What? We’re going to be a trash bin?],” Estrada added.
Asked if Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista has talked to him about the matter, Estrada said: “No. We don’t have an agreement.”
While he understands the situation of Quezon City, which is now facing a serious garbage crisis due to the closure of Payatas, Estrada said he needs to discuss the issue with the city council.
“Titignan namin. Pag-aaralan pa namin ‘yan sa konseho [We’ll see. We will study this at the city council],” he assured.
The City of Manila uses the Vitas Marine Loading Station, originally a garbage transfer station that sits on land owned by the National Housing Authority, as its main dumpsite.
The Payatas landfill was ordered closed by the DENR and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on July 27 owing to heavy rains that saw garbage haulers having difficulty maneuvering in the area. It is also due for permanent closure at the end of the year.
MMDA officials have suggested three alternative sites to accommodate Quezon City’s garbage: the landfills in San Mateo and Rodriguez in Rizal province, the Vitas transfer station, and the Navotas-Tanza sanitary landfill via Manila North Harbor’s Pier 18.
Previously, then-Environment secretary Gina Lopez expressed her intent to close Payatas because of its proximity to the La Mesa watershed, one of the main sources of water in Metro Manila.
The Payatas sanitary landfill is an engineered landfill, exclusively for the waste of Quezon City. It collects 2,800 tons of garbage a day.