Only 21 of 57 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Island have sanitary landfill facilities (SLFs), a Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau official said Thursday, July 30.
SLFs are required by law as the ultimate final disposal method for residual solid waste under Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
In Negros Occidental, 13 LGUs have SLFs, while sanitary landfill construction is underway in three other areas, DENR-EMB Negros Island Region Director Vicente S. Losbañes Losbañes said.
The LGUs with SLFs are the cities of Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sagay, San Carlos, Sipalay, Talisay, Silay, and La Carlota, and the municipalities of Murcia and La Castellana.
SLF construction is ongoing in Escalante City, Hinigaran, and Ilog.
In Negros Oriental, eight LGUs have SLFs, Losbañes said.
The LGUs with SLFs are Bayawan, Bais, Tanjay, Tayasan, Dauin, La Libertad, Ayungon, and Jimalalud.
Construction of SLFs is ongoing in Amlan and Zamboanguita, while Valencia is applying for an Environmental Compliance Certificate, Losbañes said.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental provincial government and nine municipalities signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the operation and use of the La Castellana Clustered Waste Management Facility (LCCWMF) on Wednesday.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson witnessed the signing in La Castellana town together with Losbañes.
The agreement was signed by mayors Añejo G. Nicor of La Castellana, Miguel Peña of Pulupandan, Ricardo Presbitero Jr. of Valladolid, Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla, and Miguel Angelo Yulo of Isabela, and officials of San Enrique, Hinigaran, and Binalbagan.
Lacson underscored the importance of cooperation among LGUs in addressing the growing challenge of solid waste management.
“Waste management is a responsibility that cannot be addressed by one municipality alone. It requires planning, resources, discipline, and, most importantly, cooperation,” the governor said.
The provincial government fully supports the establishment of the clustered waste management facility as part of its continuing commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development in the province, he said.
Lacson also emphasized that while the government provides the necessary systems and facilities, the success of waste management efforts ultimately depends on the commitment of local governments and the active participation of communities through proper waste segregation, reduction, reuse, and recycling.
The MOA allows the nine LGUs to utilize the La Castellana Clustered Waste Management Facility as their final disposal site for residual waste, in accordance with Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Located in Brgy. Manghanoy, La Castellana, the provincial government-supported facility serves as an engineered sanitary landfill designed to cater to clustered LGUs within the province’s Fourth and Fifth Districts.
The agreement likewise ensures compliance with environmental laws while promoting a coordinated and sustainable approach to solid waste management.*
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