FLORIDABLANCA -- The Provincial Government's plan to set up a sanitary landfill here will help minimize the garbage problems in many of the towns of Pampanga's second district, said Mayor Eduardo Guerrero said Wednesday.
Guerrero also clarified that contrary to earlier reports, the project of the Provincial Government is a landfill and not an open dumpsite.
Guerrero said the landfill plan, which is backed by Governor Lilia Pineda, aimed at creating a composting and a material recovery facility-supported sanitary landfill that is in compliance with existing sanitary and environmental laws.
"We all know that current laws already prohibit open dumpsites. The governor is in support of the creation of a landfill to accommodate initially the garbage coming from three towns of the second district of Pampanga," Guerrero said.
Guerrero added that the proposed landfill is expected to be constructed at Barangay San Ramon, but the actual size of the landfill area is still being studied.
The town mayor said the Provincial Government is expected to spend some P10 million for the site development alone once the project is approved.
"Governor Pineda is very optimistic about the project and even instructed local barangays in Pampanga to already practice segregation as part of the initiative to put a stop to the growing garbage problems in Pampanga," Guerrero said.
In 2007, Pampanga only produced 745 tons of wastes daily. But in 2008, the province has produced 1,696 tons of wastes daily due to ineffective local waste management programs.
This year, the average waste generation is 5,179 tons a day, which is more than 300 percent of 2008.
Pampanga is currently second in terms of waste generation, next only to Bulacan according to Environmental Management Bureau's records in 2008. (Ian Ocampo Flora)