THE ITOGON municipal council unanimously denied the ratification of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to develop and convert part of the Antamok area into an engineered sanitary landfill (ESL) with a waste to energy component.
Aldermen refused to confirm the agreement lamenting the lack of provisions for the project and expressed their opposition through a resolution.
Mayor Victorio Palangdan earlier entered into a MOA on the proposed conversion of Benguet Corporation’s Antamok open pit site to an ESL.
Palangdan said the MOA signed between Itogon, Benguet Corporation, Goldrich Natural Resources Exploration and Developmnet, Inc. and Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan was a preliminary document for the company and its partner to start processing pertinent documents with the concerned government agencies.
“They were not consulted by the mayor to represent Itogon in a MOA despite that it is a part of the parliamentary process written in the Local Government Code,” the local council alleged.
Citing the project will cover over 60 in barangay Loacan, there should be series of consultation with its residents since it is foreseen the host barangay and its adjoining barangays will be greatly affected by the 25-year project period.
The council also expressed the public was was not involved in a consultation.
It was also stated the council is not endorsing the MOA since it is patently illegal to exempt the Antamok project from acquiring a certification of precondition as stated in the Republic Act. No.8371 or the Indigenous People’s Rights Act or IPRA.
“Considering the impact of its implementation, operation and maintenance to the community and the environment, the process of a Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is very crucial.”
Legislators emphasized the Municipal Ordinance for the establishment of a Common Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities as required by R.A. 9003 (Section 44) pursuant to Section 33 of the local government code will be adopted.
“There should be a terms of reference, a baseline study and criteria for a landfill planning, designing sanitary landfills, site characterization and environmental investigation, to name a few,” added the resolution.
Benguet Coproration noted the council action and said all will be incorporated in a revised agreement to push the project anew.