BACOLOD City – The city government has begun the construction of Sanitary Landfill Cell No. 5, a P66-million project aimed at addressing Bacolod’s growing waste disposal needs and further improving its solid waste management operations.
Mayor Greg Gasataya led the groundbreaking ceremony on January 29 at the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa. The project contractor is International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists Inc. (I-SWIMS), which also handles the city’s garbage hauling, collection, disposal, and landfill maintenance.
Gasataya said clearing operations at the project site have already started, marking the formal commencement of the new landfill cell, which is fully funded by the local government.
The project has a completion period of 300 calendar days, or nearly 10 months, although the contractor has committed to completing the facility ahead of schedule, he added.
“If you look at the situation of Cell No. 4 compared to early January, there is a big difference. The access of garbage trucks entering and exiting and their movement on top have greatly improved,” Gasataya said, noting that the city is on the right track in managing its sanitary landfill facilities.
The construction of Cell No. 5 comes as Cell No. 4 is expected to reach full capacity within three to four months. I-SWIMS operations manager Mario Sandil said the company is fast-tracking the construction of the new cell to accommodate Bacolod’s daily waste generation of nearly 2,000 cubic meters.
“Our commitment is to address the waste problem from the household level up to the landfill. Cell No. 5 will serve the city for about three years, based on our engineering projections,” Sandil said, adding that the facility will be constructed and maintained properly to ensure long-term service and environmental safety.
Sandil also said the waste-to-energy (WTE) project is being developed in parallel and, once operational, could eliminate the need for a future Cell No. 6, allowing the city to reduce costs for additional landfill construction.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau Negros Island Region (DENR-EMB NIR) Regional Director Vicente Losbañes welcomed the project, noting that it coincides with the 25th anniversary of Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
“This project is one of the flagship initiatives in the Negros Island Region. We assure Bacolod City of our support as we renew our commitment to RA 9003 and to keeping our environment clean,” Losbañes said.
Councilor Homer Bais, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on environment and ecology, also expressed optimism, saying the construction of the new landfill cell and the city’s waste-to-energy initiative will bring a brighter future for the host barangay and strengthen Bacolod’s long-term waste management strategy.
Gasataya said the city hopes Cell No. 5 will be the last landfill cell to be constructed as Bacolod transitions to waste-to-energy solutions. Once the WTE project becomes operational, only residual waste will be disposed of in the landfill, he said.
“If all systems go, we are hoping the waste-to-energy project will be operational before 2029, subject to permitting and the assistance of the Department of Energy,” Gasataya added.
The city government assured the public that it will continue strengthening its waste management programs to ensure environmental sustainability and protect public health./PN
