MOTORISTS taking the Bajas Road as a convenient shortcut from JR Borja Extension to Lapasan Highway through Sitio Cronin, Barangay Camaman-an, are being greeted by an increasingly common sight: unregulated waste. This abandoned lot right in downtown Cagayan de Oro has slowly morphed into an illegal dumping ground.
Beyond the immediate eyesore and environmental hazard, this roadside trash pile points to a much broader, systemic issue. City Hall continues to grapple with severe shortcomings in solid waste management and consistent, reliable garbage collection. When government services struggle to keep pace with the city's waste, empty lots and quiet access roads like this one inevitably bear the brunt of the overflow. (Text and photos by Cong B. Corrales)
