San Mateo stunned by MMDA garbage disposal decision

MANILA, Philippines — San Mateo Mayor Bartolome Rivera Jr. in Rizal was caught off guard by the plan of the Manila city government and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to use the town’s landfill for garbage disposal.

In a statement written entirely in Filipino on Aug. 27, Rivera said the municipal government was “surprised” to learn that the MMDA and Manila decided to dispose the city’s garbage in the new San Mateo sanitary landfill.

“There was no consultation or advance notice to our local government,” Rivera said.

He added that the local government would appeal to the MMDA to reconsider the decision.

Rivera stressed that the additional volume of waste from Manila could “fill up the capacity of the landfill more quickly, cause heavier vehicular traffic and endanger the health and safety of the people of San Mateo.”

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced on Aug. 26 that the MMDA ordered the city government to divert its garbage disposal to San Mateo from the Navotas sanitary landfill, which was shut down.

Moreno ordered the city government to put up a “small transfer station” where the collected garbage would be stored.

He also required private contractors to buy new trucks for hauling as San Mateo is estimated to be 30 kilometers away.

Moreno said on the sidelines of a declogging and cleanup operation along Padre Faura Street on Aug. 28 that they “were all properly informed” of the decision.

In case the use of the San Mateo landfill is not possible, he said the city government has a “Plan B.”

Moreno said another venue for waste disposal has been found, but declined to give more details.

MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the San Mateo landfill could accommodate the waste coming from Manila, as shown in its environmental compliance certificate.

“We are only bringing in an additional volume. Metro Manila (government units) have regularly used the site for garbage disposal. The waste coming from the city of Manila is just an additional volume,” Artes said.

He added that he would talk to Rivera and the provincial government to discuss the issue.

Malabon shifts  to San Mateo landfill

Meanwhile, the Malabon city government announced yesterday that it has also transferred its waste disposal to Rodriguez, following the shutdown of the Navotas landfill.

Mayor Jeannie Sandoval assured residents that there would be no garbage crisis after the city finalized a deal with the management of the Rodriguez landfill to accommodate Malabon’s trash.

“I am reassuring my constituents that there is no need to worry about a possible garbage crisis in the city. We anticipated its closure and found a quick solution by closing a deal with the Rodriguez sanitary landfill in Rizal, and we trust our private haulers to carry out the tasks,” Sandoval said.

City administrator Alexander Rosete said Malabon has its own transfer station where garbage collected across the city is hauled by trucks before its disposal in Rizal.

“The new system would not give any additional cost to the city coffers as it is part of the city government’s contract with private haulers,” Rosete said.

Both officials appealed to residents to cooperate with the local government’s clean and green program by practicing waste segregation and refraining from indiscriminate dumping of garbage. –  Mark Ernest Villeza