BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) to conduct the necessary assessment and evaluation on the Antamok open pit site of the Benguet Corporation (BC) as a possible site for the city’s long overdue integrated solid waste disposal facility.
The local chief executive created the 7-man TWG to pursue the assessment and evaluation of the site after he personally met with BC officials who offered the use of their open pit area for planned integrated solid waste disposal facility.
“The local government will pursue the establishment of the integrated solid waste facility within the feasible area of the open pit site so that we will be able to put up our lasting solution to the city’s solid waste disposal facility. We have to be firm on our commitment to pursue lasting solutions to our garbage problem for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike,” Domogan stressed.
The TWG will be chaired by City General Services Officer Romeo D. Concio with City Engineer Elpidio Garabiles, City Planning and Development Officer Evelyn Cayat, Environmental Management Bureau – Cordillera Regional Director Reynaldo Digamo, Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Fay W. Apil, and representatives from the National Solid Waste Commission (NSWMC) and Benguet Corporation. as members.
Earlier, BC offered to the city government the use of its open pit site in Antamok as a potential area for the integrated solid waste disposal facility.
Under the planned facility, the city will be putting up a centralized materials recovery facility, an anaerobic digester, a waste to energy plant, the operation of the city’s Environmental Recycling System (ERS) machines, engineered sanitary landfill, health care and medical waste treatment plant and special waste treatment plant.
Domogan said the put-up of the integrated solid waste disposal facility will not only be beneficial to the city but also for the garbage disposal problems of La Trinidad, Itogon, Tuba, Sablan and Tublay pursuant to the spirit of the BLISTT growth development corridor.
However, Domogan explained the city is not abandoning its earlier plan of putting up the integrated solid waste disposal facility in the city-owned 139-hectare property in barangay Sto. Tomas School area so that it will have an alternative in case the TWG will find out that the Antamok open pit site is not feasible.
Domogan gave the TWG at least 45 days to submit its findings and recommendations so that the local government will be guided on finding lasting solutions to the city’s garbage woes.
It was learned that the BC management, the City Government of Baguio and the Municipal government of Itogon signed a memorandum of understanding that defined the duties and responsibilities of the parties related to addressing the solid waste concerns of the BLISTT local governments./By Dexter A. See
