BACOLOD City — A major step toward modernizing solid waste management in Bacolod City has been taken after the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) authorized Mayor Greg Gasataya to sign an agreement for a P4-billion waste-to-energy (WTE) project.
The approval, granted during the council’s regular session on April 29, 2026, allows the city government to enter into a long-term lease agreement with Forza Development Corporation (FDC) for the development of a WTE facility in Barangay Felisa.
City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu described the move as a landmark development, emphasizing that the project will not require direct financial investment from the city.
“This is a significant milestone. The city will not spend for the development—we will only provide the land, while the private partner will finance and build the facility with an investment of P4 billion,” Chiu said in a media interview.
Under the agreement, FDC will lease a 95,577-square-meter portion of the city-owned Bacolod Integrated Recycling and Technological Hub (BIRTH) for 25 years.
The annual rental is set at P1,000,010, with the lease to take effect upon the signing of the contract.
The proposed WTE facility will be constructed within the BIRTH site, which has been designated as the city’s central solid waste management hub and a future WTE industrial zone.
Chiu noted that the project could position Bacolod among the pioneers of waste-to-energy development in the country.
“This demonstrates Bacolod City’s strong commitment to establishing a WTE facility and leading innovative waste management solutions,” he added.
The project follows the earlier approval of the city council’s BIRTH Declaration and the WTE industrial zone lease, or public-private partnership (PPP) enabling ordinance of 2026.
The agreement underwent proper procedures after the Bids and Awards Committee endorsed the project on April 14, 2026, awarding it to FDC as the highest calculated responsive bidder.
Structured as a public-private partnership, the initiative allows the city to maximize its assets while minimizing fiscal exposure.
In return, Bacolod is expected to generate revenue from real property taxes, secure a share in power generation, and create employment opportunities, particularly for communities near the sanitary landfill, Chiu said.
The WTE project forms part of the Gasataya administration’s broader push for sustainable waste management and economic development, aiming to address the city’s growing waste concerns while generating renewable energy.
Once operational, the facility is expected to significantly reduce landfill volume, convert waste into usable energy, and position Bacolod as a model for environmentally sustainable urban development in the Philippines./PN
