CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- The provincial government of Pampanga and the Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC), operator of the country’s first engineered sanitary landfill within the Clark Special Economic Zone, are eyeing to jointly put up three waste transfer stations to reduce the province’s expenditures on solid waste disposal and management.
The proposal came as majority of the local government units (LGUs) in the province, including the provincial government of Pampanga, aired their concern on the expenses incurred for hauling and garbage tipping fees.
MCWMC chief executive officer, Rufo Colayco, said the proposed transfer stations could be funded by their corporation, provided the LGUs would commit to deliver all waste materials to the MCWMC.
“Kami na bahala sa facilities and maintenance, basta bigyan lang kami ng provincial capitol ng areas para sa transfer stations (We will take charge of the facilities and its maintenance, so long as the provincial government will provide the areas for the transfer stations),” he said.
Governor Lilia Pineda, meanwhile, vowed to help the MCWMC in the acquisition or donation of lots for transfer waste stations somewhere in the towns of Lubao, Mexico and in Barangay Lara, this city.
Based on the records of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), the province disposed of 153,475.64 cubic meters of waste materials in the Metro Clark Sanitary Landfill in 2018, with a total cost of PHP94,775,447.20, a 40-percent increase in volume and a 42.08-percent increase in expenses compared to 2017.
Pineda also said that one of the critical problems the provincial government is looking into is the volume of generated waste being produced by people every day, with the average waste per capita pegged at 0.42 kg.
Based on the PGENRO’s latest report, the province generates 1,034.15 metric tons of waste a day, which is equivalent to 76 truckloads, under the assumption that each truckload weighs more or less 13.5 metric tons, or 28,956.4 metric tons of waste per year, equivalent to 25,759 truckloads.
The governor also asked for the clustering of five to six barangays per truck to ensure that all dump trucks being deployed by the provincial government are properly utilized.
She likewise asked LGUs to propose probable actions on proper waste management.
“Maintaining a clean and safe environment through addressing the garbage issue is tantamount to ensuring the health and well-being of the people,” Pineda added. (PNA)
