City officials and partners from national government agencies and the private sector will sign a cooperation agreement for the establishment of an electronic waste treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) area at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), Bakakeng Central barangay hall, Crystal Cave.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong will lead the signing with officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Environmental Management Bureau, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (Unido), Integrated Recycling Industries (IRI), and other concerned agencies. The Zero and Eco-waste coalitions, City Environment and Parks Management Office staff and Bakakeng Central barangay officials led by Punong Barangay Daniel Dan shall also be present during the signing.
To be finalized for the signing are operational costs, sustainability issues, and dismantlers/workers concerns.
As only 10 tons of e-wastes per year could be accepted in TSDs, the limit in earnings is also looked into, but this could be a basis for amending or adopting new policies for TSDs.
Earlier, comparative financial studies were done for the Bakakeng TSD with the Dampalit, Malabon and Bagong Silang, Caloocan e-waste collection facilities as baseline.
The former MRFs of the two barangays were upgraded to e-waste facilities by the DENR and Unido through their Safe E-waste project, funded by the Global Environment Facility.
The IRI and EcoWaste Coalition were engaged by the project team to assist in the establishment of said e-waste facilities, as with the Bakakeng TSD.
Budget forecast studies were also done in Baguio-based junk shops for comparison, it was known.
The details were discussed during online meetings among the Cepmo, represented by Assistant Head Marivic Empizo, office heads and personnel from the EMB-Cordillera, with the DENR, Unido project Team, and other agencies. – Julie G. Fianza
