DESPITE the non endorsement of Itogon’s local council, Mayor Victor Palangdan pushed for the signing of a memorandum of agreement for the conversion of a mine out area in Antamok to an engineered sanitary land fill.
Recently, Palangdan joined Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Benguet Corporation and Goldrich Natural Resources Exploration and Development Inc., for the conversion of its Antamok properties into an engineered sanitary landfill with a waste-to-energy component primarily geared towards sustainable environmental preservation and protection in the concerned localities and help resolve garbage issues within the Baguio- La Trinidad–Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) areas.
“The MOA that I signed with Mayor Domogan was not ratified by the Sangguniang Bayan because it did not conform to our original agreement with the partner companies. The municipality should be free to dump garbage in the area. We have an agreement that from the tipping fee of Baguio City, barangay Loacan will receive a share and also the municipality,” Palangdan revealed.
Palangdan later told Benguet Corp. the MOA has yet to be ratified by the town’s council before it becomes binding.
The mayor added the MOA signing is a show of to support the company’s steps to facilitate the project and approval of necessary paperworks from the locality.
“I signed the MOA ut it is not the final decision because there’s still a final contract. They must also follow the process like the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC),” Palangdan said.
Palagndan meanwhile asked residents of Itogon for understanding on the proposed ESL in the area as it will pass the necessary public hearing before it will be approved.
“The project is still subject to the approval of the people,” he emphasized.
The mayor also dispelled fears by residents the Antamok site will be an open dumpsite.
Palangdan revealed other proposed possible areas is in Ampucao but it was declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as protected area under the NIPAS Act.
Palangdan reiterated benguet Corp. have proposed the ESL be converted into an eco-tourism park after 25 years.