E-waste TSD cooperation agreement for signing on Sept. 25 in Bakakeng Central, Baguio City
A Cooperation Agreement (CA) shall be signed by officials of the local government unit, national agencies and private partners, on Sept. 25 for the establishment of an electronic waste treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) area at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), Bakakeng Central barangay hall, Crystal Cave.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong leads the signing with officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Environment Management Bureau (EMB), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Integrated Recycling Industries (IRI) and other concerned agencies. The Zero and Eco-waste coalitions, City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) staff and Bakakeng Central barangay officials including Punong Barangay Daniel Dan shall also be present during the signing.
To be finalized for the signing are operational costs, sustainability issues and dismantlers/workers concerns. As only 10 tons of e-wastes per year could be accepted in TSDs, the limit in earnings is also looked into.
However, this could be a basis for amending or adopting new policies for TSDs, it was reported.
Earlier, comparative financial studies were done for the Bakakeng TSD with the Dampalit, Malabon and Bagong Silang, Caloocan e-waste collection facilities as baseline. The former MRFs of the 2 barangays were upgraded to e-waste facilities by the DENR and UNIDO through their Safe E-waste project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The Integrated Recycling Industries (IRI) and EcoWaste Coalition were engaged by the project team to assist in the establishment of said e-waste facilities, as with the Bakakeng TSD.
Budget forecast studies were also done in Baguio-based junk shops for comparison, it was known.
The details were discussed during online meetings among the CEPMO, represented by Assistant head Engr. Marivic Empizo, office heads and personnel from the Environmental Management Board (EMB-CAR), with the DENR, UNIDO project Team and other agencies.
The MRF remains as a repository for recyclables, as well as a TSD facility; it was agreed between the General Services Office (GSO) and CEPMO.
Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, as committee chair of the Sanitation, Ecology and Environmental Concerns, mulls the crafting of a city ordinance for provisions of e-waste from the citizenry for the collection center’s sustainability.
A financial contribution from PLDT and SMART Communications Inc. augments the establishment of the Bakakeng TSD, it was also reported.
During the program on Monday, an unveiling of the facility marker shall be done with the dignitaries present; Mayor Magalong; DENR-CAR Regional Director Ralph Pablo; DENR-EMB Regional Director Jean Borromeo; Ms. Leah Texon of UNIDO PCB/WEEE, IRI Vice President and General Manager Lee Icheverri and PLDT/SMART Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa Vergel de Dios.
They shall be joined by DENR Undersecretay Jonas Leones; Undersecretary of DENR Annaliza Teh, and Dr. Carmela Centeno, Project Manager of UNIDO based in Vienna, Austria.
A tour of the TSD facility follows, with a video showing afterwards.
In preparation for the e-waste collection on-site, a hands-on training for dismantlers with tools and equipment was conducted last Sept. 14 and 15. The trainees from LGU Baguio and Bakakeng barangay shall demonstrate their skills on Monday.
An eco-waste and sustainability expo as an introductory activity was also done at Malcolm Square on Sept. 15 and 16. – JGF
