THE Commission on Audit has called out the city government of Gapan, Nueva Ecija for allowing tons of garbage to rot in what was supposed to be a Material Recovery Facility in Barangay Pambuan.
In a 62-page Citizen Participatory Audit (CPA) report released on November 6, 2024, the COA said the MRF was only intended as a transfer station where recyclable and compostable materials are separated while residual waste is hauled and disposed of in 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.
The team was composed of four COA personnel headed by State Auditor V Lolita Escuadro and supported by five members of the Knights of Divina Pastora as civil society partners.
A copy of the audit report was submitted to the office of City Mayor Emary Joy Pascual on September 26, 2024.
While there were identified MRFs in 23 city barangays, onsite inspection showed these were only token compliance with the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003).
The barangay MRFs turned out to be small metal cages with each receptacle marked “bote”, “lata”, and plastic.
However, they were found to have been put up in narrow alleys or beside the barangay hall with little to no space for hauling trucks to access.
The auditors cautioned city officials that Section 25 of RA 9003 prohibits the storage of solid waste for more than 24 hours while Section 37 penalizes the operation of an illegal dumpsite.
“The accumulation of wastes could result in 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 added.
The city government admitted that it has been having difficulties making timely haulage due to budgetary problems.
In the last three years, the city has spent a total of 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 it signed a hauling and tipping contract with MetroWaste Solid Waste Management Corp. only last year, partly due to the city government’s inability to establish its own sanitary landfill.
In reaction to the audit findings, Gapan City made commitments to clean up the accumulated trash at the Central MRF and conduct a cost-benefit analysis regarding the advisability of purchasing its own fleet of garbage trucks to reduce expenses on sanitation.
Likewise, it assured the COA that the existing barangay MRFs would be transferred to a more accessible location and modified to serve as composting and transfer stations.
