BAGUIO CITY – The City General Services Office underscored the local government benefited from the operation of the two multi-million Environmental Recycling system (ERS) machines that were purchased to process a portion of the city’s biodegradable waste to high grade compost several years back.
City General Services Officer Romeo D. Concio claimed the processing of some 48 tons of biodegradable waste by the ERS machines daily significantly reduces the volume of solid waste behing hauled out by the city to the sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac.
He explained the volume of garbage being hauled out by the city daily is approximately 150 to 160 tons daily excluding the 48 tons of biodegradable waste being processed daily by the ERS machines.
Concio added the cost of hauling the 48 tons of biodegradable waste to Tarlac daily is approximately more than P24 million annually, including the freight cost and tipping fees paid to the landfill operator.
“Hauling is still the remaining feasible option to avoid a serious garbage problem in the city while we are working on the establishment of the planned integrated solid waste disposal facility either in Antamok or in Sto. Tomas School area as the case may be,” Concio stressed.
According to him, the P12 million being spent by the city for the maintenance and operation as well as the fuel expenses of the ERS machines is much cheaper compared to the P24 million computed expenses of the local government once the 48 tons of biodegradable waste will be hauled out of the city instead of being processed by the ERS machines.
While it is true that the machines undergo regular maintenance work anytime of the year, he said the contribution of the machines in reducing the volume of garbage being hauled out of the city has been very significant compared to totally hauling out the city’s waste to the landfill in Tarlac.
Further, the operation of the ERS machines is part of the city’s integrated solid waste disposal facility once established.
For this year, the city allocated a total of P85 million from the P1.776 billion 2017 city budget purposely for the hauling of the city’s residual waste to the Tarlac landfill.
Concio urged local residents to cooperate with the existing policy of waste segregation at source to reduce the volume of waste from their residence to help address the city’s garbage problem.
Concio remains optimistic that the local government will be able to realize the put up of its integrated solid waste disposal facility the soonest once Benguet Corporation will give the green light for the project within its property in Itogon, Benguet. /By Dexter A. See#
