Offshore landfill proposed for Manila

A private developer said yesterday a solution to the country’s garbage problems lies offshore – specifically, they propose to reclaim a 30-hectare site off the shoreline of Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila and use it as a sanitary landfill.

Delfin Wenceslao Jr., president of the Bay Dredging Inc. (BDI), said they have been conducting a study on the viability of an offshore sanitary landfill for Metro Manila for the past five years.

He said they are in the process of applying for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and had already undergone two public hearings. A third hearing would still have to be scheduled.

The project gained attention when Wenceslao gave a lecture on the project that was a requirement for his doctorate for business administration at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) last week.

"We are looking for a long-term solution of the garbage problem in Metro Manila, specifically in the city of Manila," he said.

Wenceslao added that getting an ECC permit is the most difficult part of the process. Once they have hurdled this stage, they will submit a report to the Laguna Lake and Development Authority.

He said they still need to secure a building permit from the Manila City Hall and a construction permit from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Wenceslao said the BDI will raise the needed capital for the project, which will cost P4 billion. He noted that they will recover their investment from the toll they will charge for every ton of garbage the city governments will dump at the landfill, which would be located 500 meters to one kilometer off the Tondo shoreline.

He said they introduced the proposed project to Manila Mayor Lito Atienza a couple of years ago and Atienza has reportedly been sending city health officials to attend the ECC public hearings to ensure that the landfill would not be a source of any health hazards to the residents.

Wenceslao said the Manila City government collects an average of 2,000 tons of garbage a day – one-third of the estimated total of 6,000 tons collected from Metro Manila’s 17 cities and municipalities. He said they will practice garbage segregation to reduce the volume of waste, and reusable items will be sold to junk shops.

Wenceslao said BDI will hire residents from nearby communities to help segregate garbage and operate equipment at the landfill.

Wenceslao allayed fears that the garbage will overflow into Manila Bay, saying that "this is the beauty with an island, you could still expand." He said once the landfill is fully utilized, the island will be then be used for commercial and industrial purposes.

He said they plan to build up the reclaimed area to three meters above the water level so the garbage would not be easily washed away by strong waves.

Wenceslao assured the public that security standards at the offshore sanitary landfill will comply with local and international environment standards.