Sablan mayor OK’d town as Baguio trash site: Domogan

By Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – This city’s problem on where to place its mounting garbage may soon be over as the mayor  of  Sablan, Tuba is amenable to hosting  an Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL) in the town.

Baguio mayor Mauricio Domogan bared this saying the Sablan municipal government may accommodate the proposed ESL in the area where trash from Baguio would be dumped.

Domogan said feasibility study for the ESL is ongoing and would be part of Comprehensive Integrated Waste Management System being planned for the city and possibly the BLISTT (Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tublay, Tuba) area.

Recently, the city government entered into a memorandum of understanding with Robert Brennan representing Organic Power Ireland allowing the foreign company to conduct a feasibility study to establish system for administration and infrastructure development of the city’s waste system.

The company which introduced a large scale commercial Anaerobic Digestion in Ireland seeks to explore potential collaborative opportunities with the city in establishing and building its solid waste management system.

Under the MOU, the company will conduct the feasibility study at its own expense incorporating into the system a Central Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), the Environmental Recycling system (ERS), Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL), Health Care Waste Treatment Plant (HCWTP) and the Anaerobic Digester (AD) as its flagship.

The company has proposed to build and operate the first Anaerobic Digestion Plant in the city promising a 500 KW capacity as demonstration of the technology’s functionality and applicability in the country under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program. 

“The plans of the city was relayed to Sablan Mayor Arthur Baldo and was thoroughly discussed with its Planning Officer,” Domogan said.“Mayor Baldo said they will join the city in establishing the planned ESL.”

The mayor also said if the waste to energy facility will push through in Sablan, part of the revenue generated will also go to the coffers of the host municipality including payment of acquiring the lot where the ESL will be established.

Domogan said, “the city is very willing to comply with Environmental and legal requirements needed to fast track the development of the ESL site.

“We will also prioritize employment of residents in the vicinity of the ESL for as long as they are qualified,” Domogan added.

The planned waste system is seen as a revenue generator in the form of clean electricity and considered environmentally safe.