It was Mayor Honorato Perez’ (1988-1995) term when dumping of garbage in Valle Cruz Cabanatuan City was started. Garbage used to be dump in Valde Fuente but it adversely affected the health of the residents, besides the river.

     Dumpsite was opened in Valle Cruz because very few families lived there at that time. It was placed away from the residential houses but scavengers built their houses around the area.

        Mr. Perez planned to have a segregation of garbage so that garbage could be milled to use as fertilizers, while non-biodegradable garbage would be recycled.

        The plan however failed, because the people could not separate bio-degradable from non-biodegradable in their garbage bags.

        With the project, numerous people thrive out of scavenging, but numerous other people got sick.

        “A great number of people, especially children get sick of dengue, cold and diarrhea”, were according to the Barangay Health Center. The residents could not admit although they knew that they could get sick because their houses are adjacent to the “SMOKEY MOUNTAIN” they are also afraid that their houses might be demolished and they could be driven away from the area.

When the dumpsite was closed on December 30, 2008, and news spread out that garbage would either be made into fertilizer or recycled, people made a living out of scavenging made an appeal to Mayor Vergara to allow them to continue working in the area.

The residents who opted to be moved away from the dumpsite for health and other reasons were moved to ACCFA Cabanatuan City. The city government is still looking for an area where other residents from Valle Cruz could be relocated.

The Barangay Nutrition Program (BNP) has started its feeding program for the children in Valle Cruz. The program includes making a list of children who will undergo the feeding program and keep a record of their weight, in order to determine who should receive proper medication.

Nueva Ecija High School