Baguio City studying privatization of waste management
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Baguio City is considering privatizing the management of its solid waste, while dreaming to reduce the cost of operations in transferring non-biodegradable waste to a private sanitary landfill outside of the city.
Based on the waste assessment and characterization study conducted by the City General Services Office, the city government will be able to save P45 million with the proposed privatization of the collection and hauling of the garbage from source to the landfill.
GSO department head Eugene Buyucan said the projected savings included lower hauling and tipping fees and fuel cost if the city disposes its solid waste in a landfill in Urdaneta, Pangasinan instead of the one in Capas, Tarlac that it is using.
The city government spent more than P186 million last year for the maintenance and other operating expenditures on solid waste management per records from the GSO.
From 2015 to 2022, the amount of solid waste in Baguio City for disposal to the landfill increased to 581 tons from 402 tons .
The GSO Solid Waste Management Division has already implemented waste diversion efforts to decrease the amount of solid waste being hauled to Tarlac.
Last year, the city produced more than 581 tons of solid waste for disposal but 69% was diverted through Materials Recovery Facilities, leaving only 179 tons hauled to the landfill.
However, the cost of solid waste management continues to increase due to the rise in the cost of fuel consumed by the garbage trucks.
Part of the proposed privatization of solid waste operations is amending the city’s garbage ordinance to increase garbage fees per tonnage of waste produced.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said increasing the fee is the only way to discipline the public to reduce their waste.
The mayor recently ordered the GSO to come up with a concept on the new garbage collection scheme and present this to the city council for approval.
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