City eyes privatization of solid waste management

The city government is studying the cost-benefit of privatizing the management of solid waste in a bid to reduce the cost of operations in transferring non-biodegradable waste to a private sanitary landfill outside Baguio.

Based on the waste assessment and characterization study conducted by the City General Services Office, the city government will be able to save P45 million with the proposed privatization on collection and hauling of the garbage from source to the landfill.

GSO Department Head Eugene Buyucan said the projected savings included reduced computations on hauling and tipping fees as well as fuel cost if the city disposes its solid waste in a landfill in Urdaneta, Pangasinan instead of the current sanitary landfill in Capas, Tarlac.

The city government spent more than P186 million last year for the maintenance and other operating expenditures on solid waste management per records from the GSO.

From 2015 to 2022, the amount of solid waste in Baguio City for disposal to the landfill increased from 402 tons to 581 tons.

The GSO Solid Waste Management Division has implemented waste diversion efforts to decrease the amount of solid waste being hauled to Capas, Tarlac with the goal of decreasing expenses on garbage transfer.

Last year, the city produced more than 581 tons of solid waste for disposal but 69 percent were diverted through materials recovery facilities leaving only 179 tons hauled out to Capas, Tarlac.

However, the cost of solid waste management continues to increase due to the rise in the cost of fuel consumed by the garbage trucks.

Part of the proposed privatization of solid waste operations is the plan to amend the city’s garbage ordinance to increase the rate of garbage fees per tonnage of waste produced.

Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said increasing the amount of garbage fee per volume of waste produced in households and establishments is the only way to discipline the public on reducing their waste production.

The mayor recently ordered the GSO to come up with a concept on the new garbage collection scheme and present this to the city council for approval. – JMPS