Landfill for Metro garbage re-opened

The sanitary landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal, where at least 12 Metro Manila cities and municipalities dump their garbage, has been re-opened after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the local government set aside differences and took into consideration, above all else, the welfare of the public.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and Rodriguez Mayor Pedro Cuerpo met last Friday night at the agency’s main office in Makati City and re-opened the facility after reaching an agreement on several issues.

The MMDA also partly paid its financial obligations to the Rodriguez local government, which closed the landfill last Thursday after its call for an increase in tipping fees was rejected by the agency.

"Beginning today, we look forward to a normal life," MMDA general manager Robert Nacianceno said.

Cuerpo, for his part, reiterated his call for financial assistance.

The MMDA said the reopening of the landfill will help ease the worries of Metro Manila mayors and residents over a possible garbage crisis due to the closure.

Nacianceno said some P20 to 25 million was paid to the municipal government as part of its financial obligations.

Officials, however, declined to state the exact amount of obligations.

Earlier, Cuerpo expressed fear that some 1,000 employees of Rodriguez would be displaced if the sanitary landfill closes down permanently.

He explained that the bulk of the salary of local government employees comes from landfill tipping fees.

The Rodriguez government has been receiving P600 per ton of trash from the MMDA for the use of the landfill, with P150 going to the local government and to the private contractor.

Cuerpo earlier asked Fernando to raise the P600 tipping fee to P800 due to the high cost of maintaining the garbage facility. When the MMDA refused, the local government ordered the closure of the facility.

Sources said the tipping fee remains at P600 per metric ton after last night’s meeting.