NEWSFLASH

CAVITE CITY DUMPING GARBAGE INTO SEA

Cavite City, March 20, 2000 - Residents of two Cavite City barangays have appealed to President Estrada to stop the city government’s use of the Manila Bay breakwater in their area as an open dumpsite. The barangay residents are mostly fishermen, who worry about the dumpsite’s adverse effects on their health and on those who will eat fish and other seafood caught in the waters of Cavite.

Residents of barangays 47 and 48charge that after a wide portion of the breakwater was turned into an open dumpsite, fishermen came home daily with less fish caught in their nets.

Many of the residents have also started to suffer from respiratory diseases, and their health problems became more serious when the city government started the practice of burning garbage in the open dumpsite.

They also claim that some of the garbage from Cavite City, Noveleta, Salinas, EPZA and even Sangley Point, are being dumped right into the waters of the bay.

The residents said Cavite Gov. Bong Revilla is aware of the seaside dumpsite and even promised to do something about the problem, but nothing has been done about it so far. Impatient residents are now asking for the intervention of other concerned higher officials, especially the President, for the closure of the dumpsite.

The dumpsite has also allegedly covered part of a public cemetery also located in barangay 47.