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Marikina ‘methane kitchen’ shut down


The so-called Kalan ng Bayan or Methane Kitchen in Nangka village in Marikina City was closed down on Thursday due to health and safety reasons. In an inspection held Thursday morning, city officials together with personnel of the Environment department dumped soil to cover the spots from where methane gas was reportedly seeping. The area is reportedly a former baseball field near an old garbage dumpsite. As bacteria break down buried organic wastes, these generate combustible gases, which can then slowly accumulate under the ground and seep out. Officials warned the residents of Balubad Resettlement to refrain from using the methane as it was harmful, especially to children and those who have weak lungs. "Kaya naglagay ho kami ng signboard na yan, na wag na ho kayong magluto (That’s why we put up that signboard, telling residents not to cook here)," said Jun Andres, assistant for operations for the City Environment Management Office (CEMO). The danger signboard bore this warning: “Bawal Magluto o Magsiga sa Dumpsite. Nakamamatay (Cooking or starting fires is not allowed at the Dumpsite. It kills.")
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV But the residents, who are mostly flood victims of cyclone Ondoy (Ketsana), were dismayed by the government’s move. They said the biogas-emitting holes, which they used mostly for cooking, provided relief from high fuel costs even as they conceded that their “methane kitchen" was hazardous. “Yung sinasabi po nilang nakakamatay po, wala pa naman namamatay dito; sa nagkakasakit po, wala pang nababalita (What they say about it’s being toxic, no one here has died yet; there’s no news as yet about people getting sick)," said a female resident. Marikina City environment officers, however, stressed the importance of closing down the area, saying it might also trigger fires if residents were allowed to just continue with their accidental biogas facility. – Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV

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