AS PART of its solid waste management plan for Metro Cebu, the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB) is eyeing the construction of two sanitary landfills and waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities by 2025.
Before that, however, the MCDCB also plans to introduce an effective management system for medical and hazardous waste treatment facilities sometime this year.
These plans were included in the roadmap study under the Mega Cebu Program that MCDCB submitted to the Cebu City Council last week, along with its annual report for 2015 and accomplishments since 2011.
The council earlier requested the board to submit the documents in compliance with a resolution.
To create a holistic roadmap, MCDCB created seven sub-roadmaps, each set to identify and develop targets, evaluate projects from economic, financial and environmental viewpoints, and recommend implementations.
The sub-roadmaps include metropolitan competitiveness enhancement, urban structure and land use, urban transport and highway network, and water supply and disposal management.
Also included are solid waste management, smart South Road Properties development, and metropolitan governance.
For solid waste management, MCDCB is focusing on the enhancement of a waste reduction and recovery program through the creation of a comprehensive master plan.
“The protection of public health and the environment is ensured by establishing the solid waste management system underpinned by environmentally-sound methods and technology,” MCDCB said.
Part of their goals for this year are the construction of medical and hazardous waste treatment facilities and the introduction of an effective management system.
It also includes the supposed closure of the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Inayawan last year after conducting an environmentally sustainable action plan.
The Department of Health (DOH) 7 recommended the immediate closure of the landfill due to the lack of sanitary requirements.
After inspecting the facility, DOH found that it does not have an operating permit and sanitary permit from the local government unit.
Dwelling and habitation requirements were also not met.
Aside from the closure of the landfill, MCDCB will implement an enhanced waste reduction and recovery program and the construction and upgrade of the operation and maintenance of a city-wide materials recovery facility by 2018.
Other projects set two years from now include the construction of the medical and hazardous waste treatment facilities, along with an operation and management system and a study on WTE technology.
Long-term plans for 2025, on the other hand, include the construction of the two sanitary landfills, the WTE facilities and the enhancement and dissemination of the waste reduction and recovery program based on the community reduce, reuse, recycle movement.
Mega Cebu is envisioning the achievement of the sustainable waste management system projects by 2030.
“For this purpose, cooperation and self-regulation among citizens and private sector as waste generators are encouraged, and public-private cooperation for sustainable business development for the medium to long-term is promoted,” MDCDB said.
