Garcia signed the memorandum of agreement with the mayors for the immediate construction of the facility in Danao City.
Present in yesterday's signing were Danao City Mayor Ramon "Nito" Durano III, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, Cordova Mayor Arleigh Sitoy, Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob, Sr.; Liloan Mayor Maria Sevilla, Compostela Mayor Antonio Dangoy, Carmen Mayor Virginio Villamor, Catmon Mayor Estrella Aribal, Sogod Mayor Thaddeus Durano, Borbon Mayor Neil Vergara, Tabuelan Mayor Raul Gerona and Tuburan Mayor Rosemarie Suezo.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza was invited to the signing but failed to attend.
Under the agreement, the provincial government will construct the facility in barangay Maslog in order to assist local government units comply with the mandates of Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 through clustering.
The provincial government will hire a full time facility manager or commission a private entity that would be responsible for the management and operation of the said facility.
The Danao City government, on the other hand, will assist the provincial government in the lot acquisition proceedings for the site of the facility.
The cities of Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue and the 10 municipalities are set to dispose of their garbage at the facility in conformity with the systematic manner as maybe prescribed in the guideline of operation of the feasibility study.
The local government concerned is also to allocate a regular annual budget for the implementation of the solid waste management programs that includes an estimated amount for the payment of the garbage disposed of at the facility.
Republic Act 9003 otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 200 was enacted in order to adopt a systematic comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program.
Section 37 of RA 9003 orders local government units to close open dumps by January 2004 and to convert them to controlled dumps, which should be closed by January 2006.
All local government units are required to establish sanitary landfills as the only environmentally accepted disposal facility. - Jose P. Sollano