Capitol to fund construction of recycling facilities in cities, towns

CEBU, Philippines - All cities and municipalities in Cebu will get more than half a million pesos each from the Capitol next year for the construction of their Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

The Cebu Provincial Board yesterday passed separate resolutions sponsored by Board Member Christopher Baricuatro granting financial assistance to all towns and cities  totaling P26.27 million.

Baricuatro said pursuant to Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, one of the priority projects of the Cebu provincial government is the establishment of MRF in the different cities/municipalities within the province. 

The Act defines MRF as a facility designed to receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable materials efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner.

MRF receives biodegradable waste for composting and mixed non-biodegradable wastes for final segregation, re-use and recycling, provided that each type of mixed waste is collected from the source and transported to the MRF in separate containers.

“These projects were advertised but the bidding was declared a failure and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) requested for SP resolution to download the budget to each city/municipality,” read Baricuatro’s resolution.

In the first district, the towns of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga, and the cities of Carcar, Talisay and Naga will get P521,007.58 each or a total of P3,126,045.48.

The towns in the second district, namely Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan, Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Ronda and Dumanjug, will get P525,349.13 each or a total of P7,880,236.95.

The third district municipalities of Barili, Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan and Toledo City will get P535,406.36 each or a total of P3,747,844.52.

The municipalities of Tabuelan, San Remigio, Medellin, Tabogon and Bogo City in the fourth district will get P548,814.34 each or a total of P2,744,071.70.

Bantayan Island municipalities in the fourth district composed of Santa Fe, Madridejos and Bantayan will also get P573,420.06 each or a total of P1,720,260.18.

Daanbantayan, still in the fourth district, will get P1.13 million for the two MRFs.

The fifth district composed of the municipalities of Liloan, Borbon, Sogod, Catmon, Carmen, Compostela and Danao City will get a total of P3,690,014.23 or P527,144.89 each while the municipalities in  Camotes Island, namely San Francisco, Poro, Tudela and Pilar, will get P563,425.43 each or a total of P2,253,701.72.

Baricuatro said the LGUs will be the one to implement its MRF using the fund downloaded to them from the Capitol.

Also passed yesterday by PB was the resolution sponsored by Board Member Celestino Martinez III authorizing Governor Hilario Davide III to grant or release financial assistance to various LGUs of the province, chargeable against the 20 percent Development Fund of 2015 of the Office of the Governor in the amount of P2.3 million. (FREEMAN)