No more landfills in Bacolod; centralized MRF mulled

By Mae Singuay

The Bacolod City government plans to eliminate sanitary landfills in the city by establishing a centralized material recovery facility (MRF) to achieve a “zero waste” environment.

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said they are now processing the acquisition of a 36-hectare lot for the centralized MRF that will segregate garbage before delivering it to recycling facilities.

The City Environment and Natural Resources Office said two lot owners offered the city government to buy their lots, which are adjacent to the existing sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.

“By acquiring the said properties, the city may also have a buffer zone to create an eco-park, so that when they see the recycling facilities, it will only look like a park,” Benitez said.

“Plano ta wala na landfill. Plano ta is recycled tanan, zero waste aton nalagas,” he added.

A Cebu-based company has also submitted a public-private partnership proposal to the city government.

Benitez said they proposed to invest P1 billion in the establishment of recycling plants.

The mayor added that the proposed facilities will also be used for the segregation of medical waste.

Benitez encouraged households to segregate their garbage.

The city will also initiate buying plastic waste to encourage residents to practice segregation, he said.

This will give them incentives, he added./MS, WDJ