FINALLY! Initial Works For Baguio's Solid Waste System Complete

Agustin, Warren S February 3, 2017
BEED Gen Ed II MWF 4:00-5:00

P405
FINALLY! Initial works for Baguio's

solid waste system complete
Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Monday said the city's Integrated Solid Waste
Management System (ISWMS) is in progress and the city government is bent on operating it.
In an interview, the mayor said initial stages of public consultation have been conducted to know the
sentiments of residents who will be affected by the project.
The city is looking at two possible locations, the city-owned lot at Mt. Sto. Tomas and a private
property in Sablan, Benguet.
Domogan assured the public that before the project starts, the city will comply with all environmental
laws and procedures that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) requires.
The city will secure the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and all environmental
requirements and work under the conditions the DENR will recommend, he said.
The planned ISWMS is not an open dumping system practiced at the Irisan Dumpsite for years.
In 2009, the Baguio City council has confirmed the Mt. Sto. Tomas property as the site for the citys
Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL) Facility.
But the city looked for other options to comply with Republic Act (RA) 9003.
In 2011, the Environmental Recycling System (ERS) was acquired to manage bio-degradable waste
and converting it to organic fertilizer.
The closure of the Irisan dumpsite in July 15, 2008 and the eventual hauling-out of waste caused the
city huge amounts, Domogan said.
Domogan said the barangays still need to boost cooperation in the segregation process and to
adhere to the garbage pick-up schedule being implemented by the city.
The city generates 366 tons of solid waste per day, 122 tons are being hauled out, 30 tons are
processed by the ERS, and 214 tons are classified as recyclables and taken by waste pickers.
With the ISWMS, practically all waste will be processed either by the Central Materials Recovery
Facility (MRF), the Waste-to-Energy facility, the Anaerobic Digester, and the ERS.
A separate Health Care Waste Treatment Plant will also be set up to process waste coming from the
citys hospitals and health centers.
Bognadon, Ivy Cherylyn February 3, 2017

BEED Gen Ed II MWF 2:00-3:00
P405
Baguios garbage woes

refuse to disappear
The citys continuing garbage problem indicates that residents and businesses here have failed
to comply with a policy on waste segregation, a city official said.
Councilor Peter Fianza, a former city administrator, said the city was able to reduce the wastes
generated here in 2008 due to residents awareness about segregation and recycling.
We observed then that there was success in waste reduction. But lately, we have not noticed
any change. It will appear on our records that the volume of garbage dumped in [landfills in]
Tarlac and Urdaneta City has increased, Fianza said.
We observed then that there was success in waste reduction. But lately, we have not noticed
any change. It will appear on our records that the volume of garbage dumped in [landfills in]
Tarlac and Urdaneta City has increased, Fianza said.
We may not have improved the system of handling our garbage, from the storage, to handling,
and then segregation, he added.
Fianza warned that should the city fail to reduce its wastes, the local government would spend
more for hauling and dumping, especially during the rainy season.
He said the city used to generate 117 to 130 tons of garbage a day, but the volume increased to
140 to 160 tons daily.
He said during the rainy season, the city spends more because garbage is heavier due to water
absorption.
Fianza said the amount the city pays to landfill operators depends on the weight of garbage
being dumped in their facilities.
The garbage should be kept dry as much as possible, and if it is doable, the dump should have
a roof or should be covered to avoid water seepage, he said.
The city government, he said, has been spending around P260,000 a day for hauling and
tipping fees.
About P300,000 a day is spent for taking care of biodegradable and nonbiodegradable wastes.
This amount does not even include personnel cost, [garbage] collection from barangays to
staging areas and the cost of dump trucks, Fianza said.
In the multisectoral workshop, Demystifying the city budget for waste management, held at the
University of the Philippines Baguio on Sept. 25, participants assailed the city government for
using more than P214 million of the citys 2013 budget for solid waste management.
Clearly, the solution to the garbage problem in Baguio is nowhere in sight, despite the millions
of pesos that are poured into the office that is tasked to manage the solid wastes of the city. A
question that begs to be answered is: Is the P214-million budget for solid waste management
being used properly and is there room for improvement? the participants said in a statement.
They added: This gives space for concerned citizens of Baguio to exert vigilance in monitoring
how waste management funds are spent, and to get involved in ensuring that public funds are
used properly. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon

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Agustin, Warren S February 3, 2017

BEED Gen Ed II MWF 4:00-5:00

FINALLY! Initial works for Baguio's

Bognadon, Ivy Cherylyn February 3, 2017

Baguios garbage woes

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