Itogon to establish sanitary landfill

By Dexter See

ITOGON, Benguet -- The municipal council has allowed the local chief executive here to enter into a memorandum of understanding that will give the local government the lead role in building a sanitary landfill at the Antamok open pit in Barangay Luacan here.

Local officials said this was in compliance to Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

The council’s action on the sensitive issue came after the National Solid Waste Commission threatened to file administrative charges against local officials for refusal to comply with said law.

The municipal government will enter into an agreement with the provincial government of Benguet and the management of the Benguet Corporation, who owns the Antamok open property for the project that will help solve worsening garbage problem in the town and the neighboring local governments.

The issuance of authority to the local chief executive to enter into an agreement with concerned agencies and sectors came after the municipal council conducted consultations with stakeholders in barangays Luacan, Tuding and Ucab on the project.

According to municipal officials, the agreement is not an endorsement of the engineered sanitary landfill project but it will allow the local government to take the lead in packaging and undertaking processes, especially social acceptability.

Under the law, all local governments nationwide are mandated to shut down the operation of their respective open dumpsites five years after the implementation of RA 9003 and establish their own controlled dumpsites or sanitary landfill to ensure disposal of garbage.