ILOILO City Government has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the environment and natural resources department for the establishment of a sanitary landfill in Mandurriao district.
City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog welcomed this joint solid waste management project by the city and Environmental and Management Bureau (EMB) in Western Visayas, saying it will solve the burgeoning garbage problem of Iloilo.
The city is generating more than 170 metric tons of garbage per day delivered at the Calajunan dumpsite. The garbage needs to be disposed properly through the sanitary landfill.
City environment officer Noel Hechanova said the MOU was signed by former city mayor and now congressman Jerry Treñas and EMB Regional Director Oscar Cabanayan last June 15.
The memorandum, he said, called for technical support from the national agency to operate and monitor all organizational and technical requirements to implement an integrated ecological solid waste management and to operate a sanitary landfill as mandated by Republic Act 9003.
Hechanova also said that EMB has availed of the technical support project for solid waste management for local government units provided by the German Technical Cooperation that will be implemented jointly with the German consultancy company AHT Group AG.
The technical support to Iloilo City will be made available through EMB for selected components of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) improvement program within the city.
Hechanova said the city has requested the SWM4LGUs Support Project for technical assistance in the establishment of sustainable SWM systems, which may include the establishment of SWM plans, SWM facilities, citing, planning and licensing procedures for sanitary landfills, trainings and other measures to enable the local government unit (LGU) partner.
The city had already established a joint work plan for 2008-2010 and will designate a permanent SLF manager to supervise the operations at the landfill.
It will also provide the necessary support for personnel, funds and logistic support to implement the agreed SWM components. (Lydia C. Pendon)