The Bacolod City government, through the City Legal Office, has submitted its position paper in response to two separate Notices of Violation (NOVs) issued by the Environmental Management Bureau–Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR) concerning the management and operation of the sanitary landfill (SLF) in Barangay Felisa on Tuesday, August 25.
City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo, together with Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) Officer-in-Charge Allyn Luv Dignadice, said during a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center that the city recognizes the EMB-NIR’s regulatory mandate.
However, Mayo strongly questioned what he described as the selective, incomplete, and manifestly inequitable attribution of responsibility reflected in the notices, particularly the apparent exclusion of IPM Construction and Development Corporation from the findings despite its contractual obligations involving the sanitary landfill, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.
The EMB-NIR issued a Notice of Violation dated August 10 against the Bacolod LGU for alleged violations of Republic Act 9275, or the Philippine Clean Water Act, concerning water discharged from the landfill, as well as Presidential Decree 1586, or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System, for the operation of Cells No. 4 and 5 without prior issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Mayo pointed out that IPM had a contractual obligation to secure the necessary ECC, and stressed that the EMB had been aware of the establishment and operation of Cell No. 4 since its development in 2024 and early 2025.
He noted that Cell No. 4 began operating in August 2024, even before its completion, and that the EMB was aware of its operational status.
Mayo also raised concerns regarding the operation of Cell No. 4 prior to the completion of its leachate pond in December 2024. He explained that the absence of a leachate pond during the initial operation of the cell could have contributed to potential water quality concerns, particularly if leachate had not been properly contained.
The city administrator emphasized that the EMB-NIR conducted an inspection in July 2026, at a time when Cell No. 5 had not yet been put into operation.
Mayo questioned why the Notice of Violation was addressed solely to the City Government when the EMB was allegedly aware that IPM Construction and Development Corporation had a contractual obligation to secure the ECC for the sanitary landfill.
“In fact, the application remains pending at the EMB. So why is that so?” Mayo stressed.
He urged the agency to clarify why the city is being held responsible for the lack of compliance despite the contractual obligation of the former private contractor to secure the ECC.
Meanwhile, in response to the Notice of Violation and Show Cause Order issued by the Contract Termination Review Committee, IPM, through its president Isabelita Mercado, maintained that the company did not fail to fulfill its obligations under the Contract of Services dated March 21, 2024.
Mercado said the application for the ECC underwent the required evaluation process before the EMB, including public scoping and deliberations conducted on September 17, 2024.
“IPM is not responsible for the delay in the approval of the ECC application,” Mercado emphasized. It also cited the failure of previous city administrations to proceed with the conversion or acquisition of the property intended for Cell No. 4 of the sanitary landfill, which it said contributed to the circumstances surrounding the landfill’s operation.
Despite the issue, Mayo said the city will continue to fulfill its responsibilities in solid waste management.
He emphasized that the city, together with the Integrated Solid Waste Management System (ISWIMS), will continue implementing garbage collection, enforcing proper solid waste management practices, monitoring illegal dumping, and responding to garbage-related concerns.*
[sibwp_form id=1]