QC eyes new site for waste

The Quezon City government is considering the transfer of its waste to a landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal with the saturation of the Payatas dump, according to Payatas Operating Task Force head Col. Jameel Jaymalin.

In the last staff meeting for the current year called by Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Jaymalin explained that there is an immediate need to transfer the daily garbage collected in the city as part of the plan to close down Payatas and give way to its rehabilitation.

"There is a need for a transfer because the dump allocated to us is saturated," Jaymalin said.

He added that the proposed transfer of waste to the Rodriguez landfill is the most practical option in terms of cost and readiness, noting that garbage volume is expected to double because of the holiday season.

"The proposed transfer is the most doable in terms of cost," he said.

An average of 1,200 tons of garbage is collected daily in Quezon City. Jaymalin said the transfer should be implemented before yearend.

The city government has taken the initiative to institute improvements in Payatas for operational efficiency, safety and sanitary concerns, including controlling garbage volume and minimizing water build-up by deepening and widening the waterways around the site. – Pia Lee-Brago