AT LEAST 500 families living near the Zayas dumpsite are expressing fears of losing their means of livelihood as the open dumpsite in Upper Dagong, Barangay Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City will officially close on April 18.
To date, the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (Clenro) has started putting High-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) so that seepage from the garbage will be collected and properly disposed of in the new landfill in Barangay Pagalungan.
The new landfill however, will not allow garbage scavengers anymore.
On Wednesday, April 12, the City Government conducted an assessment and profiling for the affected families aimed at identifying which livelihood programs, skills training and other assistance the city can offer to the affected families as their option for alternative sources of income.
For 60-year-old Lorna Medio, the closure of the dumpsite has left her hopeless for the future of her eight kids and 15 grandchildren.
Medio, who has been a scavenger since she was born, said they earn P150 per day by gathering plastic items, bottles, among others.
"Pagkabalo namo nga i-close na siya, guol kaayo mis tanan lami kaayo ihilak, mao ni ang problema, unsa may panginabuhian namo nga mga tigulang naman mi, daghan koy apo, mga anak walay mga bana, wala pa gyuy grado, (When we learned that it will be closed, we were so worried, I wanted to cry. This is the problem (because) what are we going to do to earn a living. I have many grandchildren and kids who have no husbands, and have no education)," Medio said, who was then lining up during the assessment, waiting for her turn.
"Hinaut unta matabangan mi kay mao ray gasaligan sa mga tigulang, bisan naa lang unta livelihood, bisan unsa basta makakwarta (We hope we can receive help because this is the only thing the elderly are dependent of. We hope any kind of livelihood is given, as long as long as we earn)," she added.
Lita Labaon, 52, has to travel early in the morning from Barangay Dansolihon, where she lives, to get to the dumpsite and find pieces of cloth which she can sew to make it a garment and sell for P20 to P30.
Labaon said she has been doing this for eight years now, and is worried that having no educational degree, she can't find any other job to feed his nine children.
Labaon is appealing to the city to give her a capital to start an “ukay-ukay” business.
Ukay-ukay is a type of Filipino clothing business where shoppers choose from an assorted selection of second-hand clothes sold at a cheap price.
Roger Da-ao, 41, said he fears that losing his only job in the open dumpsite might affect the schooling of his only child who will enter senior year in the next school year.
"Naa baya ko pinaskwela, grade 7 na siya, ako ray gasaligan sa pamilya kay dili man makaantos ug init akong asawa (I have one child who will now turn grade 7, the family relies on me)," he said.
"Sa isa ka adlaw, makakita ra ta ug 200 or 150, pinakataas na ang 300, unya grabe na ni nga paningkamot, ulan ug init na. So, magpalit nalang mi ug mineral tag piso para budget lang sa paglung-ag, ug para pud naay panghugas sa bata pang-skwela niya (In one day, we can earn P150-P200, sometimes P300, even if you work hard, rain or shine. So we use this to buy mineral worth a peso to cook food and for the child to take a bath)," he said.
Julius Pamisa, Division Head of the Social Community and Development of the city admitted that they cannot provide jobs for all the 500 families or the more than 1,000 individuals.
He said the profiling will only assess if any member of a family can handle a job in the city hall, and does not assure a job for all.
Pamisa also said that relocation for the families is still not being discussed.
"So ang problema ani asa napud sila ipamutang, mao ning gikuhaan sila ug profile para mabal-an nato kung naa bay miyembro sa ilang pamilya nga kailangan nato hatagan ug skills training, ang uban ani, naay atong ipang-hire sa departments nato sa City Government, kung asa sila nato pwede iplastar, (The problem is where will we put them, so we got their profile to know if any member of the family needs a skills training, or if we can possibly hire them to our different departments in the city hall), " he said.
"Ang mga senior citizens atong imiyembro sa Osca, mga PWDs sa ila pud nga corresponding organization, mga solo parents para they will not be left behind. Naa pud atong magamit siguro sa waste segregation, naa may ma-hire na mga tao ana, posible nga sa ila ra gihapon kuhaon nga grupo (The senior citizens will be registered to our senior organization, and the PWDs to their corresponding organization so that they will not be left behind. We will also look for men to help us in our waste segregation project)," Pamisa added.
Scavengers will be allowed until April 17 since the area will be closed on April 18 for rehabilitation.
Clenro said the new landfill is worth P600 million. The landfill covers 45 hectares but initially, only one hectare will be opened as the flattening of the area is still ongoing.
