ILOILO City – The municipality of Leganes, Iloilo wants to dump its garbage at this city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Calajunan, Mandurriao district.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod’s committee on public services, environmental protection and ecology conducted a hearing and its chairperson, Councilor R Leone Gerochi, later proposed that a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the city government and the local government of Leganes be made.
Leganes has been disposing its garbage in an open pit dumpsite which is prohibited under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. The law requires that such must be closed and rehabilitated.
According to Gerochi, the town has decided to invest on its own waste-to-energy facility.
“They are now in the process of building sang ila waste-to-energy facility. But in the meantime nga wala sila sang sanitary landfill gaayo sila sa city kon pwede ma-accommodate ila residual wastes for one year in our landfill,” said Gerochi.
During a committee hearing on July 4, 2018 a representative of the Leganes municipal environment and natural resources office said the residual wastes that the town would dump at the Calajunan dumpsite were non-biodegradable wastes and a mere seven percent of the total volume of the town’s garbage each day.
In his committee report, Gerochi recommended that a resolution be passed by the SP authorizing the city mayor to enter into a MOA with the local government unit of Leganes.
The City Legal Office suggested a provision on reciprocity – Leganes will allow Iloilo City to dump its garbage into the town’s waste processing facility when it becomes operational.
“Samtang gakapuno ang sanitary landfill ta, wala pa ta waste-to-energy facility. With their waste-to-energy facility, possible man nga ma-invite sila sa aton nga didto man ta mahaboy basura,” said Gerochi.
Engineer Neil Ravena, in-charge of the Calajunan dumpsite, said it could still accommodate residual wastes from Leganes.
The town will pay the prevailing rate which is P4 per kilo of waste for one year./PN
