BAGUIO CITY — In its bid to solve the garbage problem and lessen the city’s expenses for private haulers for Baguio’s trash delivery to Capas, Tarlac, the city is looking into bringing a limited tonnage of garbage to San Fernando City in La Union. Vice Mayor Daniel Fariñas said that the mayor together with other city offials went to San Fernando this week to discuss with officials of San Fernando City regarding the dumping of garbage there.

San Fernando City has a 10 hectare-land fill that was designed for 15 years. The Department of Environmental and Natural Resources of Region 1 approved the said dump site limiting the daily absorbence of trash for 14 tons per day.

But Fariñas said that the problem of bringing Baguio’s garbage in San Fernando have some matters to be addressed to. He said that while officials of San Fernando expressed positiveness of accomodating Baguio’s garbage, they are anticipating the reactions of other municipalities of La Union. According to Fariñas, the other municipalities may suggest that they too will ask San Fernando to accommodate their garbage. He added that for sure San Fernando will prioritize its co-municipalities. “And to accommodate our garbage, San Fernando officials will still have to ammend their ordinances regarding garbage dumping”, Fariñas added.

Meanwhile, city councilor Antonio Tabora announced that they are negotiating with the Holcim cement Industries in Bacnotan, La Union in connection with Baguio’s residual wastes. Tabora said that Holcim is willing to accommodate 40 tons of residual waste per day. He added that they already signed a memorandum of agreement on February 19 regarding the matter.

Tabora said that Holcim has the facilities to transform residual wastes into materials in making cement. “Holcim explained to us when we visited them that they are already using three percent from residual wastes for their cement production. In Europe, they use 70% in their cement production.” Tabora said.

The councilor said that if this will materialize, then Baguio’s 120-130 tons of garbage per day will be reduced to at least 1/3. But before this, Tabora added that there should be a strict compliance of waste segregation in the city.

As of now, the city is eyeing more sanitary land fill in Antamok and Tinongdan in Itogon, Puyupoy in Taloy, Tuba and in Sto. Thomas which is the priority as it is one of the city’s properties.

Fariñas also added that the city is not abandoning the usage of Irisan dumpsite. He said that an approved budget of 11.6 million is alloted for the rehabilitation for rip rapping, development of a Material Recovery Facilities, perimeter fence, compost pit and vegetation. # Aldwin Quitasol