To curb mounting garbage operational costs and boost citywide recycling, the Bacolod City government launched a public consultation Monday, November 9, on its Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS), calling on local communities to take a direct role in household waste segregation.
Held at the Bacolod City Government Center Lobby, the activity gathered inputs and recommendations from various sectors to strengthen the city’s solid waste management programs.
The consultation was conducted in partnership with consulting firm SGV, represented by Partner Katrina Francisco and Director Judd Tablazon, a press release from the Bacolod City Government Center.
The SGV team presented the study’s methodology and potential scenarios for Bacolod’s waste management strategy, covering key aspects such as waste characterization, pollution analysis, waste diversion targets, and the critical need to enforce waste segregation at the source.
During the open forum, participants highlighted the importance of broader stakeholder representation and requested additional public consultations moving forward. Attendees exchanged actionable ideas on improving waste diversion, cutting operational expenses, and ensuring proper waste segregation remains central to Bacolod’s overall strategy.
Barangay representatives also highlighted local initiatives already making an impact, including a bokashi composting practice adopted by 10 households in one community, as well as waste segregation efforts involving 15 to 21 households in Barangay 1.
Further recommendations included designating champion barangays for the Hapag Program and intensifying public information and education campaigns on proper waste disposal.
City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo said that the WACS serves the entire community acting as a vital guide for the effective and inclusive implementation of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
The study will undergo further review and consultation before its findings and recommendations are presented to the appropriate local bodies for consideration and approval, the press release said.*
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