Baguio City Administrator Bonifacio dela Peña revealed during the city council’s regular session on Feb. 26 the bidding for the proposed transfer station will commence in two weeks.
A transfer station is a facility for managing and processing waste serving as a hub for collecting, sorting, and transferring waste to its final destination. The city’s proposed transfer station will serve as a key component for the city’s waste management infrastructure designed to accommodate the efficient handling of waste materials.
Dela Peña said there are multiple budgets allocated for the transfer station: P20 million for site development, P30M for building construction, and P50M for equipment procurement.
He added there is an urgent need to fast track the project to address sanitation and sewerage problems in the city. The facility is crucial for waste management, regardless of whether there are plans by the city for waste-to-energy conversion.
Dela Peña clarified the current facility is a sorting station where garbage is dumped and sorted by personnel.
He said the existing facility will be relocated to the lower part of the site, and the area it currently occupies will be used for the construction of an intermodal terminal which is another project of the city government in the pipeline.
Dela Peña has assured the city council the location of the proposed transfer station adjacent to an intermodal terminal is feasible. He said there would be odor control measures put into place to prevent future problems when both projects are already operational.
Both projects, the proposed transfer station and the proposed intermodal terminal, are part of a comprehensive development plan for a 10-hectare land along the Aspiras-Palispis Highway. The development plan encompasses various infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing the city’s transportation and waste management systems.
Despite initial concerns regarding the relocation of the transfer station due to safety issues, plans entail its relocation to accommodate the proposed intermodal terminal. This relocation will involve the upgrade of the transfer station’s technologies to ensure efficient waste management until the city government implements its waste-to-energy program which is another flagship project of the city government. – Jordan G. Habbiling
