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Villagers reject Baguio sanitary landfill project
By Dexter A. See

ITOGON, Benguet – Residents of 18 sitios in Barangays Virac and Gumatdang here are opposing a plan of the city government of Baguio to set up an engineered sanitary landfill facility in their areas. The opposition set back anew the efforts of the city government to establish a sanitary landfill where it could dump its tons of garbage.

A petition opposing the Baguio sanitary landfill project was furnished to the municipal government of Itogon and Baguio City officials.

This should be considered in the formulation of plans to solve Baguio’s garbage-disposal problem.

Contrary to statements of some City Hall officials that the residents of Virac and Gumatdang have unofficially endorsed the project, the petitioners expressed grave concern about the ill effects of the sanitary landfill to their health and to the environment.

These are the reasons they are not in favor of establishing the garbage-disposal facility, a leader of the residents said.

Everyone has the right to enjoy a sound environment that has to be protected for the benefit of present and future generations, the leader said.

The petition stated that the planned site for the landfill project in Virac and Gumatdang is near residential areas, pointing out that the operation of the facility would be harmful to their health.

The petitioners said the people’s welfare should not be compromised, and that is the reason why they could not allow the construction of the sanitary landfill.

They also said there are many underground tunnels, sinkholes, and caverns beneath the proposed sanitary landfill, and it would be unsafe to conduct earth-moving activities in preparation for the construction of the landfill. The villagers who signed the petition include residents of Tombstone, Bobon, Bontoc Village, Acupan, Virac, Balatoc, Keyman’s Hill, Batuang, Camang-gaan, Midas, Ucab, Gumatdang, Alumit, Muyot, Dalisay, Besil, Sikaran, and Kawa.

The petitioners said that the proposed site for the Baguio landfill does not conform with Administrative Order 50-1998 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which provides for guidelines governing landfill site identification and screening for municipal solid waste management facility.

The order states the landfill site should not be located within 300 meters of any surface water used for drinking purposes and it must be 300 meters from a river or stream.

The proposed landfill site is reportedly near the Dapong and Ambalanga Rivers.
A technical working group of the city’s solid waste management board recommended the establishment of the landfill in either Virac or Gumatdang because the area had been found to be suitable for the purpose.

The group said the residents in the area had earlier agreed for the construction of the facility with the condition that all social concerns are to be addressed first by the city government.

These include the compensation of the residents who would be displaced by the project.