BAGUIO CITY- “Instead of other cities and municipalities making money from our trash, why not save and earn from these garbage for programs and modernization of our barangays,” his according to Engr Antonio “Tony Boy” R. Tabora Jr.
“Instead of spending close to a billion in the coming years, the City of Baguio must now invest on waste to energy facilities”, Tabora said.
“This is a solution to the garbage woes we and the other municipalities of BLISTT (Baguio-La Trinidad-Itogon-Sablan-Tuba-Tublay) are now experiencing.
The city on 2018 approved a budget of P92 million yearly for hauling and tipping fee costs.
From 2011-2017, the Commission on Audit (COA) said city government has spent P472M for of residual waste.
COA said, the hauling fees reached P254.5 million, while tipping fees were pegged at P217.9 million.
“A Solid Waste Management Disposal Facility was not established due to lack of suitable area to put up the integrated solid waste system contrary to the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 resulting in expenditures for hauling and tipping fees totaling P472,462,097.19 for the calendar years 2011 to 2017,” state auditors said in the report.
The Supreme Court, earlier, issued a writ of kalikasan and a temporary environment protection order against the opening of a sanitary landfill, which forced Baguio City to haul its garbage outside of the city.
As of December 31, 2017, COA said Baguio City paid garbage collectors P935.50 and P550 in hauling and tipping fees, respectively
“By building a waste to energy plant, the city saves on hauling and tipping costs, while earning the energy it produces”, Tabora said.
“This would mean more money for the city that could be used for the computerization of our barangays and their systems which would be a big boost in our perceived programs for peace and order and increasing their income generation programs,” Tabora said.
Tabora is one of the nine candidates vying for the mayoral post in Baguio City in the 2019 local elections.