By Mariela Angella Oladive
The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo City has approved the updated 10-year Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Plan for 2017-2026 on Thursday, Jan. 30, paving the way for the transition to an integrated solid waste management facility.
Engineer Neil Ravena, chief of the General Services Office (GSO), emphasized the urgency of the update, citing the need for a new waste facility to accommodate the city’s growing waste volume as the sanitary landfill in Barangay Calahunan nears its closure in 2026.
He also noted that the 10-year plan must be updated every two years to remain aligned with evolving environmental requirements.
“We will be closing the sanitary landfill in 2026 since that’s the lifespan of our landfill. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will be monitoring to ensure its proper closure. All permits and conditions defined under environmental regulations set by DENR will end in 2026,” Ravena said.
As part of the closure process, the city must submit a safe closure plan, which includes constructing a drainage system to manage leachate and applying a soil cover to permanently seal the landfill.
The updated plan will also allow the city to obtain the necessary permits for the construction of a new integrated solid waste management facility in Barangay Ingore.
The facility will feature a large material recovery center, designed to separate and process waste, along with a waste-to-energy component that will convert organic waste into usable energy.
Ravena revealed that up to 90% of the city’s waste, primarily organic materials, can be converted into energy. The remaining non-organic waste will be processed separately.
The city is currently securing all required permits for the new facility, with the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) already under review at the DENR central office.
Once approved, the facility’s construction is expected to take approximately 18 months.
The facility is designed to accommodate the 400 tons of waste generated daily by Iloilo City.
