Urdaneta SP oks P220 M loan for sanitary landfill
URDANETA CITY–The city council passed a resolution on Tuesday authorizing Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr. to negotiate with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for a P220 million loan for the construction of a sanitary landfill in Sitio Caligo, Barangay Catablan.
The resolution was enacted a week after the council supported the mayor’s plan to establish a sanitary landfill facility, as required by national law, to replace the existing controlled dumpsite in the same area.
The mayor said the amount will be spent for the acquisition of the 10-hectare land from private owners, estimated to cost P20 million, the construction of the road to the dumpsite and landfill facility.
“We will borrow only P220 million although the LBP certified that the city’s borrowing capacity is P450 million, Perez said.” The city has an outstanding loan of P140 million.
The mayor assured that city residents that the facility will adopt all the necessary safety measures to protect the environment as prescribed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The feasibility study for the project is now being prepared by a local team created specifically for the project. The team is inclined to adopt the designs of the existing sanitary landfills in San Fernando City, La Union; Capas, Tarlac and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
According to the city mayor, the residents of Barangay Catablan posed no objection to the project they consider it a better alternative to the existing controlled dump site in their area which had been existing for the last eight years.
Once the sanitary landfill is in operation, the controlled dumpsite will be closed, to be covered with soil and converted into tree and vegetable plantations.
Perez said adjacent municipalities will be allowed to dump their wastes at the landfill for a fee for every cubic meter of waste.
The fees that will be collected will be used to pay part of the amortization of the loan.
Perez added that the city also plans to generate additional income by converting wastes from the sanitary landfill into organic fertilizers and make tiles and hollow blocks out of solid wastes for sale to the public at nominal cost.—LM
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