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Monday, June 05, 2006
Baguio dumpsite closure expected next year
IF THE timetable for the conversion of the dumpsite in Barangay Irisan into a controlled dump facility (CDF) is to be followed, then the closure of the garbage heap would be in January next year.
Nazita Bañez, head of the solid waste management division of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo), made the assurance to Barangay Irisan residents during a consultation with city officials led by Mayor Braulio Yaranon last week.
The consultation will be a continuing activity of the mayor to provide barangay residents an avenue to air their concerns and sentiments directly to the mayor and for the mayor to personally know the situations and problems for resolution and action.
Bañez said that as per the timetable set by the technical working group for the CDF implementation, the bidding process will require four months and another four months for the actual conversion work.
The conversion, worth P18.7 million as recently approved by the City Council, will involve the closure and rehabilitation of three-fourths or 75 percent of the whole dumpsite area. The remaining 25 percent will be maintained as residual waste containment area, a small-scale dumpsite, which will serve as the city's waste technology in the meantime that the final garbage management scheme is being worked out.
This will be complemented by the development of materials recovery facilities in the barangay and the imposition of the mandatory waste segregation.
Bañez said that at present, their office is in the process of refining the terms of reference (TOR), which will be revised to include solutions for alternative livelihood to address the plight of would-be displaced scavengers.
Once completed, the TOR will be submitted to the Pre-Qualification and Bids Awards Committee (Pbac) for bidding.
Bañez said they will employ a two step bidding in choosing the project implementor, which will involve a stricter screening of the project bidders.
Yaranon assured that the City Government is doing its best to address the waste management concern of the city. He said the drafting of the 10-year comprehensive waste management plan is ongoing to pave the way for the adoption of the final waste management technology.
Several offers for a more permanent garbage management schemes are being studied by experts but those being considered are options for a waste-to-energy scheme and the law-mandated sanitary landfill.
Planned reforms on the waste management system would be in line with the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the National Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
RA 9003 mandates local government units (LGUs) to convert their open dumpsites into a controlled disposal facility by February 2004 but this was extended to February this year. The same law requires LGUs to adopt an effective waste management program that will no longer require the operation of a dumpsite by next year. (AR)
(June 5, 2006 issue)
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