ILOILO City – The city government, through its Public-Private Partnership (PPP) – Selection Committee, and the Metro Pacific Water Investment Corporation (MPW) had a successful negotiation for the establishment of a waste-to-energy project in this southern city.
Yesterday, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas and MPW president and chief executive officer Rogelio “Babes” Singson led the ceremonial signing of the joint certification of the successful negotiation.
“This monumental agreement marks a significant milestone in our shared mission to foster sustainable development and address the imminent challenges posed by the limited lifespan of the Calajunan Sanitary Landfill,” said Treñas.
The city mayor emphasized the urgency to find alternative waste management solutions with the sanitary landfill’s lifespan ending in three years’ time.
The waste-to-energy facility will not only provide a sustainable and efficient solution for managing the city’s waste but also present a remarkable opportunity for economic growth, he added.
Treñas further noted that the waste-to-energy facility, powered by advanced technologies and innovative waste management practices, will revolutionize the handling of the city’s waste stream.
Through this cutting-edge infrastructure, the abundance of waste materials will be harnessed to generate renewable energy, reducing the city’s carbon footprint, thereby contributing to the fight against climate change.
“We will be able to manage the waste. As you know every year we are getting more and more. The waste-to-energy will provide us with a more sustainable way to manage our waste, at the same time it will clear out the 23-hectare sanitary landfill,” Treñas added.
After the signing of the certification, the proposed project will have to go through the process provided for in the city PPP ordinance.
“This will be subjected to a Swiss challenge and if there is a challenger then we go through the process,” Treñas said.
A Swiss challenge is a form of competition which requires a public authority (usually an agency of government) which has received an unsolicited bid for a public project or for services to be provided to government, to publish the bid and invite third parties to provide better proposals.
Those interested to challenge must signify their intention within 15 days after the second advertisement/publication.
Singson, meanwhile, said the proposed project will kick-start Iloilo City’s growth to sustainable waste management goals and will solidify the city as a leader and a good model for sustainable waste management in the country.
“Marami pong naghihintay what will happen to this project with Iloilo… We need to continue to collaborate and influence this innovative and sustainable solution to achieve our goal of shared prosperity in contributing to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals not only in the water segment but also in addressing environmental degradation,” Singson added.
He said they are going to adopt certain technologies that will be acceptable under Philippine standards.
The proposed facility can process 200 to 400 tons of non-recyclable waste daily and can produce 2.4 megawatts of energy.
“We are already here. This to me is an ideal model for cities where you have water, bulk distribution and waste-water under one setup,” he added.
The project, Treñas said, is the fulfillment of one of the city government’s W.H.E.E.L.S. roadmap for environment toward a sustainable future. /PN
