PGMA pledges gov’t subsidy and use of gov’t lands for Baguio MRFs

by Lito Dar

Baguio City (5 September) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to oversee the survey of government properties in the city that can be used for establishing Materials Recovery Facilities(MRF).

The President also assured that the government will provide financial subsidy for the establishment of MRF in every barangay in the city.

“The law requires every barangay to have an MRF to be used for composting and recycling and it is important. I already told Mayor Bautista, that if your problem is space, we could have an inventory of all the national government properties, that are located in the different barangays where we can locate your MRFs,” the President said during the briefing on Solid Waste Management and Climate Change for city officials at the Mansion House last August 28.

According to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, Baguio City produces 300 tons of garbage per day or half of the total garbage produced daily in the whole Cordillera region, which is also equivalent to the production of 675 tons of harmful methane. The methane gas produced by garbage is said to be 20 times more dangerous than carbon dioxide emissions, which also contribute to global warming or climate change in general.

Atienzao pointed out that the city can solve its garbage problem through MRFs, which is more economical than hauling all the garbages to the sanitary landfill of other provinces. To date, there are only three MRFs serving three of the 128 barangays in the city, and with the closure of the Irisan dumpsite, the city hauls its garbage to Capas, Tarlac.

Atienza also bared that through the initiative of the President, the city is entitled to P8.6 million subsidy or grant from the national government, which is equivalent to 40% of the needed P21 million fund, to set-up 116 more MRFs in the city. If this materializes, Baguio will reduce its garbage by 85%, and the 15% of residual waste will be disposed in open and controlled dumpsites. The barangays can also generate additional revenues from MRF, he said.

In the same briefing, Congressman Mauricio Domogan urged all city and barangay officials to help and support each other in putting up even a small MRF or by clustering with nearby barangays in establishing such facility. (PIA)