Baguio gov’t set to build Sto Tomas garbage area

By Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY – The fifty hectare area within the 139-hectare city property in Santo Tomas eyed to house the city’s first Integrated Solid Waste Management System has been identified.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan told a media forum the city government is now in planning stage.

“The 50-hectare area is free from congestion and a single house is within its vicinity,” Domogan said.

The city is planning to develop the ISWMS incorporating modern technology to address waste concerns.

The ISWMS will be patterned after Materials Recovery Facility of Hesperia City, California which city officials visited this year.

The technology incorporates waste recovery through segregation, recycling and conversion to electricity.

The Santo Tomas area has been approved as site for a sanitary landfill for the city in 2009 by City Resolution Number 78.

The area was part of five possible sites for an engineered sanitary landfill evaluated and recommended by a monitoring committee.

“There would be no open dumping of waste at the site as it in contrary to Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste management Act,” Domogan said.

“We have to change our perception of waste disposal, there are more advanced, environmentally friendly and cleaner ways to address our garbage,” he said.

Domogan said, the waste facility will have the capability of separating biodegradable from non-biodegradable waste, recyclables, wet and dry and other forms of wastes.

A separate technology will also be added to address hospital wastes.

The city government and local barangay officials in the community has agreed to open the lines of communication and conduct series of consultations especially in areas which may be affected by the project.

Modern technologies being eyed as component of the solid waste facility are a central materials recovery facility (MRF); environmental recycling system (ERS) facility; engineered sanitary landfill (ESL); waste to energy (WTE); and health care waste treatment plant (HCWTP).

An evaluation will be conducted by a team to determine cost of site development including widening and concreting of road to the area and if there are other locations which can be developed with lower cost.