The site for the proposed multi-billion waste-to-energy project by a renewable energy corporation will be brought back to Sablan, Benguet after the community and municipal officials agreed that the town will host the facility.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the decision of Sablan officials and the community to allow the waste-to-energy project is a welcome development, as it will help the Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay (BLISTT) address their prevailing garbage disposal woes.
He however said the punong barangay in the area where the facility is proposed to be set up is opposing the project, which is why efforts are being done to resolve the impasse.
The city government earlier offered to the proponent of the waste-to-energy project, Metro Global Renewable Corporation, a portion of the 139-hectare city-owned property at Sto. Tomas as a possible site for this facility after Sablan officials earlier sent mixed reactions on the proposal for the municipality to host the project.
The proposed waste-to-energy plant is designed to convert approximately 500 tons of mixed waste to 10 megawatts of clean energy daily using the latest technology that is said to be environmentally friendly.
BLISTT local governments are currently hauling their residual waste to the Capas engineered sanitary landfill of the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation.
Metro Global Renewable Corporation plans to put up the waste-to-energy plant within a private property in Sablan to help local governments address their garbage disposal problems.
The proponent also conducted an ocular inspection on a portion of the city-owned property in Sto. Tomas and found the need for the construction of a road network leading to the area, which is an added cost.
Another site earlier identified is a portion of the property ceded by the Department of Agriculture to the city, but the site had issues causing the project proponent to back out.
Under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, local governments are mandated to close the operation of their respective open dumpsites and establish their own engineered sanitary landfills or controlled dump facilities for the protection of the health of the people and the state of the environment in their areas of jurisdiction.
Clustered waste disposal facilities serving the garbage disposal requirements of local governments was also encouraged to maximize the use of land holdings in their respective places. – PIO release
