By Angel Julappe Bolla, UB Intern
The ride to Asin, 16 kilometers away was no walk in the park. It was hot as the place is of much lower elevation than Baguio City. So for one not used to the place it was an hour of discomfort if not suffering.
It all started on Facebook. I came across a problem raised by a concerned citizen and posted by March Fianza about the pollution of a creek at Asin proper, Nangalisan, Tuba, Benguet where a piggery was flushing pig manure straight to the creek resulting in a very bad smell and the other attributes of pollation.
The post was shared, commented on and was even tagged to many people who could have helped or acted on the matter but opted to just comment, no action.
A graduating journalism that I was, with all the idealism of a novice percolating inside me, I decided to take action by paying the place a visit. Thus the troublesome trip.
It crossed my mind while I was being jarred by the jeepney’s movement, breathing other passengers’ breath, and smelling their smell, “Why do local governments allow the operation of businesses that badly affect the people?” Maybe because of politics.
When we reached the place, I saw residents and business establishments selling around the creek. I was stunned to find out that the creek was clean and there I was expecting it to be murky and dirty. One vendor and a resident told me it’s because the owner did not yet clean the hog pen. He also added that the water was coming from a spring and the water can be used for drinking if not contaminated.
Many residents of the sitio shared their opinions but many did not want to talk about the issue because they know the owner who, as some of them joked, might not invite them anymore when he would have a canao.
One of the resort owners there showed me copies of the three letters sent by the town’s mayor to the owner way back in 2016 but until now no result was achieved. The barangay also held meetings in the past yet the act of flushing manure to the creek continues.
So it dawned on me that the owner must be a powerful man.
I was able to get Mayor Ignacio Rivera’s side but he appeared to be evading the issue. He kept on going back to the three letters he sent to the owner that achieved nothing.
Roger Sinot Sr., also a concerned citizen and operator of one of the resorts in Asin, said that barangay officials held numerous meetings regarding the matter but no concrete action happened. He also added that he will soon meet with other resort owners for them to file a collective complaint with the mayor.
I also tried to talk to DENR’s Reynaldo Digamo, the OIC regional director, but unfortunately he was out of town and so Engineer Alex Luis, chief of the Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division, was the one who talked to me and he said that the issue should be first dealt with by the barangay, and then by the municipality, and then by the province through its sanitation office. If nothing happens, then the DENR will finally act.
Frustrating it was and I even thought I might have been more popish than the Pope. I would however like to quote former US President Barrack Obama, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” I could only pray for the people of Asin, Nangalisan, Tuba, Benguet to take this to heart.
So much for tyro journalism.**
