The 1-hectare sanitary landfill in Brgy. Felisa, Bacolod City is ready to operate, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said yesterday.
He said it is estimated to last for three years, but the engineers say that if a rip-rap is placed to extend and make it higher, its lifespan could last for one or two years more.
The land area has another 1.5 hectares that can later also be converted into another sanitary landfill, which, they estimate, could last for another three to five years, he added.
The P32 million sanitary landfill was turned over Friday by Senando Santiago, president of A.L. Salazar Construction, to the Bacolod City Government represented by Leonardia during the ceremony and blessing in Brgy. Felisa.
The ceremonial turnover was witnessed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources officials led by Undersecretary for Operations Ernesto Adobo Jr.
Leonardia said that, based on the report of the DENR, the property which the city had purchased, is estimated to last for almost10 years if it is used effectively.
In the worst-case scenario that the segregation program will not be implemented on a 100 percent basis, the Materials Recovery Facility must be there to undertake the final screening of the garbage before it is thrown into the sanitary landfill, he said.
NO BETTER PLACE
Leonardia reiterated that the study of the DENR states that Bacolod City could not have chosen a better place for the sanitary landfill than where it is now. This had the endorsement of the Barangay Council of Felisa, he said.
Bacolod City Water District general manager Juliana Carbon also reiterated her assurances that their wells will not be affected by the presence of the sanitary landfill.
Leonardia said that if the ideal distance of a water well is 500 meters, the nearest BACIWA well is 1.2 kilometers away and is not being used.
Adobo pointed out that only 3 percent of local government units in the country are compliant with the sanitary landfill law, with only 24 in Luzon, 10 in the Visayas and four in Mindanao.
Leonardia said they expect the segregation program to be implemented at the barangay level. In the meantime that it is not yet perfected, they have to make sure that the MRF becomes very efficient and effective, so it will screen the garbage because they have to protect the sanitary landfill in order to prolong its lifespan, he said.
SIMILARITY AND QUALITY
He pointed out that there is a similarity in terms of quality between the contractors of the government center and the sanitary landfill.
Leonardia said the contractor of the government center constructed the Makati City Hall, while that of the sanitary landfill operates the San Mateo facility in Manila.
“In other words, in terms of the standards and the quality of our projects, we can say that those in Bacolod are at par with those of premier national projects like the Makati City Hall and San Mateo Landfill, and therefore, we are supposed to enjoy the quality of the job they have done here, in our government center and sanitary landfill,” Leonardia added.*CGS back
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