German grant boosts Iloilo City solid waste program
Iloilo City's bid to free itself from the tag "The Dirtiest City" in the Philippines after it landed last in the Clean and Green contest years back got a much-needed shot in the arm after it was chosen as pilot area for a capacity-building initiative for solid waste management.
The program, a grant from the German Technical Cooperation (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ), supports Iloilo City's plan to implement an integrated solid waste management system in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.
On top of this is the improvement and rehabilitation of the Calajunan dumpsite in Mandurriao, the acquisition of heavy equipment and the establishment of a sanitary landfill to conform to the requirements of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The program will be initially financed with a P90-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). The Iloilo City Council on July 26 approved Resolution No. 1017 authorizing Mayor Jerry Treñas to sign the loan agreement with the bank.
The funds will be used specifically to expand the capacity of the materials recovery and composting facility (P20.225 million), acquire heavy equipments (P50 million), close the existing mounds of garbage and establish a three-hectare sanitary landfill (P 20 million) for the Calajunan dumpsite.
"The existing condition of the Calajunan disposal area requires major rehabilitation works and improvement … At present, disposal of waste does not follow proper operational protocol," says a 10-page report prepared by GTZ, and submitted by Dr. Johannes Paul, GTZ team leader.
"Leachate of old dumps are not collected and treated. Other issues concerning the existing disposal site are inadequate compositing area, materials recovery facility not optimized, burning of wastes, and many other environmental, health and social issues surrounding the operation of the disposal facility," adds the report.
The 23-hectare Calajunan dumpsite receives 160 tons of solid waste every day, a rate enough to fill the area to the rim in five years.
The proposed improvement of the dumpsite involves three phases – the expansion of a materials recovery and composting facility, the establishment of a transition disposal site, construction of access roads, administration building and parking, closure of open dump and greening of the area, which will pave the way for the eventual implementation of the sanitary landfill, expected to be operational by 2008.
"In preparation for the sanitary landfill system operation, the existing disposal area will be transformed into a transitional disposal site or low-level landfill, which is located in the central part of the Calajunan disposal site," says the GTZ report.
The transitional landfill site will serve as the training ground for local government partners and private operators in adapting a new disposal system, which includes daily waste compaction, covering and physical improvement of the area and leachate
treatment.
Heavy equipment will be used during the pre-implementation such as bulldozer, backhoe and heavy dump truck. Equipment to be acquired include two bulldozers, one backhoe, two heavy dump trucks and a set of weighbridge.
The establishment of the transitional waste disposal site will also include fencing, construction of access road and leachate collection and recirculation.
Aside from the MRF and composting facility, other improvements under the first phase of the project includes the construction of an administration building, a parking area, a drainage system, roads, open spaces, greening areas, and a lagoon.
Once completed, the MRF can accommodate a maximum input of 40 tons per day while the composting facility can receive a maximum of 30 tons per day.