NOWADAYS cities and towns race to brand themselves as “green,” “sustainable,” or “climate-resilient”, it becomes increasingly urgent to ask: Are these claims rooted in genuine environmental stewardship — or merely convenient marketing?
Iloilo City, long touted as one of the country’s most livable and walkable urban hubs, now finds itself at the center of a concern that calls this identity into question. The issue? A planned Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF), which includes a waste-to-energy (WtE) plant near Barangay Ingore — just 50 meters from residential homes and already beside a coal-fired power plant. It promises to transform waste into energy.
On the surface, this sounds like a win-win: reducing waste, generating power, and promoting sustainability. But the truth is far more troubling, according to environmental groups, including Greenpeace Iloilo Volunteers, Green EcoWarriors, and People Against False Solution. They have raised alarms over the harmful by-products of waste incineration, such as toxic ash and dangerous air pollutants. These are risks that advanced filtration technologies can’t fully mitigate, and their impact on the health of Ilonggos and the environment could be severe, they warn.
The city government insists that the project aligns with its goal of sustainable urban development. But the environmental groups aren’t buying it. They argue that using eco-friendly buzzwords to push through incinerator-based technology — one with well-documented health and environmental risks — is the very definition of greenwashing.
Worse, according to environmentalists, the public consultation for this project only occurred after the signing of the joint venture agreement — contrary to the spirit, if not the letter, of the National Economic and Development Authority’s 2023 guidelines requiring timely public disclosure. Is this true? Most disturbing, even barangay officials were allegedly unaware of the project until environmentalists knocked on their doors. Is this what green governance looks like?
At the heart of this matter is a questionable invocation of the term “green.” Waste-to-energy, particularly when it involves refuse-derived fuel (RDF) or incineration, is not without consequence, environmentalists say. These processes emit hazardous pollutants and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, even with advanced filtration, they argue. They may reduce the volume of garbage but not without a cost — to air quality, public health, and long-term environmental integrity.
True green leadership demands more than PowerPoint slides and lofty slogans. It demands transparency, community involvement, and commitment to science-based, people-centered solutions. It means putting residents’ welfare ahead. It means choosing nature-based and circular economy solutions, not industrial band-aids that create new problems.
If Iloilo City wishes to stay true to its vision of being a model for sustainable urban living, it must first be honest with its people. Otherwise, the rhetoric of sustainability becomes a smokescreen for projects that are anything but.
