AO NO. 132 ON GARBAGE FEES
- Published on Thursday, 27 October 2011 20:42
- Category: Barangay Affairs
By Nerissa Bayan
Hon. Mauricio G. Domogan, City Mayor, issued Administrative Order No. 132, Series of 2011 last October 12 entitled “Intensifying the Collection of Garbage Fees and Providing the Guidelines for the Barangay Based Collection System Pursuant to Section 32, Chapter VII of Tax Ordinance No. 2001-001 as amended by Tax Ordinance 2003-03.”
To ensure that the Administrative Order will be effectively carried out by the barangays, the Office of the City Treasury, the Office of the City Accountant and the City Environment and Parks Management Office held an orientation to the 128 barangay treasurers on the implementation of the administrative order. The said barangay treasurers will likewise be deputized by the Office of the City Treasury, to give them the needed authority to collect from the households of the barangays.
The AO’s objective is to collect the needed resources for the implementation, monitoring and other related activities of the City’s 10 Year Eco-Solid Waste Management Plan (ESWMP), which likewise emphasizes the role of the Barangays consistent with Section 6 of Rule VI of RA 9003.
The payment of garbage fees have been in effect since 2001, and is provided for under Tax Ordinance 2001-001, specifically under Section 32. A separate paragraph on the same section provides “The City Treasurer may deputize the Barangay Treasurers to collect from private residences/households and apartment houses the garbage fees herein imposed.” The tax ordinance of the City of Baguio, as amended seeks the payment of P 20.00 per month for every household which is for garbage fees. However, for the past years, the Office of the City Treasury cannot achieve a 100% collection of the said fees, which is why the new collection scheme was devised so as to increase the collection.
The garbage fee collection is utilized for the various programs and projects under the Solid Waste Management Program of the City in compliance with RA 9003 otherwise known as the National Solid Waste Management Act. Considering that it forms part of the local legislative measures duly approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Baguio, it is a mandate for the households to pay these dues. It is both an obligation and a duty of the constituents to pay these fees to enable the local government to have sufficient funds for the Solid Waste Management Program.
Considering, however, that the implementation of the Administrative Order calls for urgency, the response of a majority of the households on this scheme has not been all too favorable, due to lack of information dissemination to the constituents prior to collection. This concern, among other issues, was raised during the general assemblies of the barangays.
In consideration of these matters, Councilor Joel A. Alangsab who represents the barangays, raised these concerns to the City Mayor, and requested for a re-orientation about the procedures provided for in AO 132, Series of 2011, which would include not only the barangay treasurer, but the punong barangays as well as the Committee Chairman on Appropriations. In this way, all other possible concerns/issues will be properly and immediately addressed by the proper offices, so that the barangay officials who will implement the collection scheme will be equipped with the proper information to respond to their constituency’s queries.
Hon. Alangsab likewise raised the issue that the period for the implementation of the new collection scheme is very immediate. While it is true that the collection of garbage fees for every household is embodied in Tax Ordinance 2001-001, which has been existing for 10 years now, there is a need to inform the constituents of the new collection scheme because of the new method employed. As for the other constituents, there may be those who just recently migrated in the City or that, due to non-payment of this garbage fees by some residents, they are not aware of this fee. Hence, there is a need to provide ample time for the barangay officials to inform their constituents on the existence of this garbage fees, as well as to enable them to conduct a census of their constituents to identify those who belongs to the list of households. This would facilitate in the collection as they will have a listing of those who needs to be collected from.
This is one of the steps and procedures undertaken by the government to slowly solve the pressing garbage situation of the City. However, without cooperation and support of all other sectors and the constituency, it would take a little longer for the city to fully address this matter. It is every citizen’s duty to do their part in solving a city-wide problem and concern, hence, let us all do our part to be a part of the solution.
