By Dexter A. See
LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – At least P70 million is needed by the municipal government make its dump facility operational by the end of this year so that it will abandon its open dump facility the soonest.
Mayor Gregorio Abalos, Jr. said one major concern being addressed by his administration is to solve the solid waste problem through the purchase of new units of equipment that will be used to start the controlled dumpsite.
The town’s landfill facility had been slowly constructed with funding assistance from foreign and domestic agencies over the past ten years so the municipality would comply with the provisions of Republic Act 9003 known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
According to Abalos, the local government is adapting a multi-dimensional approach to curb this capital town’s solid waste problem so that they will be able to address the biodegradable and recyclable wastes while residuals are the ones to be dumped in the controlled dump facility once it will be operational.
The town’s controlled dump facility and sanitary landfill will be located in barangay Alno, one of the remotest barangays while its open dumpsite which is currently being utilized is based in sitio Buyagan, Poblacion, a thickly populated place.
Last Tuesday, concerned residents in Buyagan padlocked the open dumpsite which is being temporarily used as an open dumpsite while works are underway for the completion of the controlled dumpsite.
However, the immediate intervention of local officials led by Abalos thwarted what could have been a garbage crisis in the town once the private owners of the property refused to heed their call as they committed that the open dumpsite will only be utilized until the end of this year.
By this time, the municipal government already spent over P80 million to put up the facility while another P70 million is required to purchase the needed units of equipment to make the facility in full operation in order to cater to the increasing solid waste because of rapid in-migration.
Abalos admitted the 10-year lifespan of the controlled dump facility is too short, thus, the local government will continue to explore other measures to help extend the facility’s existence so that the town’s solid waste will be properly addressed.
Aside from pursuing the completion of the project, the mayor disclosed the municipality is also interested in purchasing a Japanese composting equipment similar to the one used in Malabon city and being eyed by the Baguio City government so that the 30 tons of vegetable trimmings produced daily at the La Trinidad vegetable trading post will be converted into compost fertilizer which will in turn be sold to farmers as part of the return of investment for the equipment.
Because of insufficient funds of the first-class town, the municipality is trying to work out the financing of the composting equipment so there will be significant gains in the town’s solid waste program which has been characterized as successful compared to other urban centers nationwide.
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