Traders Required to Dispose Agricultural Waste
The City Council of Baguio approved the ordinance requiring all wholesalers of agricultural crops to dispose of their agricultural refuse at the source. Mayor Benjamin Magalong signed the ordinance authored by Councilor Elaine Sembrano last February 24, 2020.
What is Agricultural Refuse?
As stated in the approved ordinance, Agricultural Refuse is unwanted or unsalable materials produced from agricultural operations. These wastes are mostly vegetable trimmings, rotten flowers, and fruits.
The Goal of the Ordinance
The goal of the ordinance is to lessen the volume of waste generated in the city market and in the different satellite markets that adds up to the burden of the garbage collectors increasing the hauling expense of the city. Under the ordinance, it is now prohibited for wholesalers to dispose of agricultural refuse in the city market and various satellite markets in the city.
Where to Dispose of the Agri Waste?
The traders are required to dispose of agricultural waste at:
- The source or point of origin.
- Appropriate dumpsites outside the city.
Source of Agricultural Waste
It is stated in the ordinance that the source of the agricultural waste is from traders from nearby provinces, municipalities, cities.
GSO Findings
In the data of the General Service Office (GSO), the average volume of agricultural waste collected daily at the Public Market of Baguio City reaches 17 tons. These wastes consist of 15 tons of vegetable waste, 1.5 tons of flower waste, and 0.7 tons of fruit waste.
Office Tasked to Implement the Ordinance
The ordinance requiring traders to dispose of agricultural waste will be implemented by the City Market Division of the City Treasurer’s Office.
Penalty for Violators
Here are the following fines for the traders who will violate the approved ordinance:
FIRST OFFENSE: PHP 1,000.00
SECOND OFFENSE: PHP 3,000.00
THIRD OFFENSE AND SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES: PHP 5,000.00
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