Reyes to congressmen: Help fund sanitary landfills

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is urging congressmen to help finance, through their respective Countrywide Development Funds (CDFs), the setting up of a sanitary landfill in every congressional district to effectively address the country’s garbage problems.

To fast-track the identification of possible landfill sites, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes directed the various provincial and community environment and natural resources offices to identify public lands where local government units could put up their sanitary landfills.

Reyes also directed all regional offices of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to conduct geological assessments of these potential landfill sites, and for the Environmental Management Bureau to ensure that they do not pose risks to public health and the environment.

A former secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Reyes reminded local officials, from the provincial to the barangay level, of their mandate, under Section 33 of the Local Government Code, to consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services and resources to address common solid waste management problems.

Citing the records of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), Reyes said there are so far only five sanitary landfills in the country, as follows:

• The Clark sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac, with a disposal area of 70 hectares;

• The Rodriguez sanitary landfill in Rodriguez (formerly Montalban), Rizal, with 11 hectares;

• The Bais City sanitary landfill in Negros Oriental, with six hectares;

• The Puerto Princesa sanitary landfill in Palawan, with seven hectares; and

• The Inayawan sanitary landfill in Cebu City, with an estimated five hectares.

At least 215 possible landfill sites have already been identified, Reyes said.

At present, the NSWMC is undertaking pre-closure assessments of 734 dumpsites and 309 controlled disposal facilities across the country.

The NSWMC has published a guidebook on how dumpsites can be closed safely and how to establish controlled disposal facilities.

Five operators of disposal facilities have so far begun implementing their approved closure plans.

These are Phileco in Navotas City; Pilotage Trading and Construction in San Pedro, Laguna; Hain Enterprises in Cabuyao, Laguna; JNJ Junkshop in Tanauan, Batangas; and a disposal facility in Iligan City.