More than 3,000 workers will lose their jobs with the planned closure of the 100-hectare Kalangitan Sanitary Landfill in Capas, Tarlac, which is operated by the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC).
However, the MCWMC said it would continue accepting waste at the Capas dumpsite, defying an order from the state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Clark Development Corp. (CDC) to shut down the facility by October.
“We will continue operating,” MCWMC executive vice president Victoria Gaetos said.
About 2.5 million households from more than 130 cities and municipalities will be affected by the closure of the 100-hectare landfill as about 400 truckloads of trash are being dumped there every day.
Local residents in Capas, Tarlac vowed to resist any attempt by the police to take over the sanitary landfill. The site is supposed to shut down its operations by October when the MCWMC’s 25-year contract with the BCDA and its subsidiary CDC expires.
Meanwhile, local residents fear that the situation may escalate into physical confrontation with reports of a possible police-enforced takeover. They appealed to Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil to intervene and prevent possible chaos.
The MCWMC, the landfill’s operator, insisted that its lease agreement with BCDA and CDC remains valid until 2049, covering the 100-hectare dumpsite.
The Kalangitan landfill processes about one million tons of wastes each year from special economic zones like Subic and Clark free ports, including parts of Metro Manila.
The MCWMC management reported observing suspicious groups and individuals monitoring the landfill site in recent weeks, along with increased helicopter surveillance.
Local residents also expressed concern that the military may be involved, given that former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, now chairman of BCDA, is overseeing the matter.
