Lingayen, Pangasinan — Effective solid waste management and other sustainable ecology programs of the province prevented the possible garbage crisis as a result of the recent closure of the Urdaneta Sanitary Landfill, an official said Friday.
Pangasinan Governor Amado I. Espino lll said the necessary interventions were done and as a result the impending garbage crisis was addressed immediately and effectively.
Likewise, the Cease and Desist Order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources against the USLF “did not affect our ecology and sanitation because of the programs that were in place even before the landfill shut down its operations” Espino said.
Melody Sison, the head of the province’s Solid Waste Management Office, said the waste management of a number of cities and municipalities affected by the closure order of the 18-hectare USLF remained in check.
“Our waste disposal processes were addressed immediately after the Urdaneta landfill shutdown. Most if not all of the province’s municipal wastes being brought to Urdaneta are now being transported and hauled to an engineered sanitary landfill facility in Capas, Tarlac, owned and operated by Metro Clark Waste Management Corp.,” Sison said.
Gladys Domalanta, head of the General Services Office, said the provincial government had a standing agreement with the MCWM for three years now. She said the garbage, especially at the capitol complex, was hauled regularly.
“The Clark Sanitary landfill provided relief. And based on our experience with them, their [facilities] and type of operations could sufficiently service our waste management requirements even if it will take more time before the Urdaneta landfill reopens and starts its operations,” Espino said.
Long before the shutting down of the landfill, Espino said, the “province’s recycling, segregation and awareness campaign reached a highest level plus innovations, such as garbage treatment transportation and shredding machines that made it a breeze for us to effectively manage the province’s domestic wastes.”
Domalanta, meanwhile, said the SWMO embarked on several projects such as palit-basura, where every kilo of garbage was paid P20 and the one-time-use plastic or sando bags was discouraged. Another project, once it pushes through, is the waste-to-energy plant being studied by the office of the governor.
The LGUs adopted the province’s best practices in promoting eco-friendly programs, he said.
In January this year, officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources inspected the site and issued two cease-and-desist orders for violations of the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.