GARBAGE woes may soon be solved for Baguio City and its neighboring communities.
In a move to help the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT), Benguet Corporation entered into an agreement with Goldrich Natural Resources Exploration and Development Inc., to develop its Antamok properties into an Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL) with waste-to-energy compost aimed for sustainable environmental preservation and protection.
BC head for legal affairs Friolan Lawilao said the move will be able to solve garbage woes for the city and Itogon with other parts of the (BLISTT) benefiting.
The signing of agreements was also entered into with the City Government of Baguio and the Municipal Government of Itogon.
Lawilao said the project will now enter into the due diligence stage, presenting the studies to the public and hopefully get the nod of all stakeholders within a year before it hopefully start construction of the ESL.
The agreement was signed last week with BC Executive Director Isidro Alcantara, Jr., Goldrich president Jaime Paredes, Jr., Baguio Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan.
With the agreement, BC is set to turn over possession of its Antamok properties to Goldrich which will be developed into a waste-to-energy project.
The agreement is set for a 25 year period and renewable for another 25 years with the possession of the patented lands revert back to the mining company.
When the project commences, Itogon and Baguio will deliver and dispose exclusively in the Antamok project all of the municipal solid waste generated and collected by the communities once the engineered sanitary landfill is ready for operation following receipt of written notice from Goldrich and issue the endorsement necessary for the implementation, operation and maintenance of the Antamok project.
BC stated the Antamok project is the mine rehabilitation plan to be implemented in the affected areas under the final mine rehabilitation and decommissioning plan approved by the MGB.
Under the agreement, BC will secure the approval from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as part of the mine rehabilitation program of Antamok.
BC retains ownership rights over the Antamok properties and shall have access at anytime for purposes of conducting operation and repair and maintenance activities in its underground facilities and other mine structures located in the area. (Maria Elena Catajan)