Sanitary landfill set in Bulacan town

MANILA, Philippines -  The Department of Environment and Management (DENR) has lauded the development of an engineered sanitary landfill going up in Obando, Bulacan which hews to the standards set forth by the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) which mandates towns and cities to adopt it for their garbage disposal.

DENR Environment Management Bureau Director Lormely Claudio told DWIZ in an interview that the said act prohibits open dumps or unsanitary landfills now being used by local government units especially in Metro Manila.

Claudio said the 44-hectare landfill in Obando, Bulacan boasts of a multi-barrier system, embankment, and meticulously engineered high-density plastic layerings to make sure that it would be a self-contained structure.

She said that those opposing the landfill project need not worry about harmful seepages detrimental to the environment since the standards in the landfill’s design were so meticulously set forth by Ecoshield Development Corp., owner of the sanitary landfill.

The EMB official said that Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje has endorsed the landfill for the use of the towns and cities within the vicinity of the 44-hectare landfill project.

Also Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado and Obando town Mayor Orencio Gabriel are pushing for the planned construction of “an engineered landfill facility” in Barangay Salambao, Obando even as she stressed that Republic Act 9003 or the solid waste disposal law emphatically mandates towns and cities to provide for an engineered sanitary landfill in which to bury a community’s garbage.

To date, however, very few local government units have so far complied with RA 9003. Garbage disposal in open dumps, or so-called controlled dumps persists even though this is disallowed under the law.

As a result, there is always the danger of environmental disaster awaiting residents of Metro Manila and Bulacan due to the absence of a sanitary landfill. In fact , this is the reason for the continued flooding in Bulacan and some parts of Metro Manila even though the typhoons have already exited the country.