𝗜𝗟𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗢 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗬 – The Iloilo City Government has announced that it will close the Sanitary Landfill in Calajunan, Mandurriao, by 2026.
This decision is in accordance with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) guidelines, which mandate that the landfill can only be used for a maximum of ten years.
According to Engineer Neil Ravena, Head of the General Services Office (GSO), the city’s engineered sanitary landfill has reached the end of its lifespan.
The landfill, which opened in 2016, will have completed its 10-year operational period by 2026, and it must be shut down in compliance with DENR regulations.
Ravena explained that this was the reason behind the push to have the updated 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan approved by the city council.
The updated plan is a key part of the process to obtain permits for the construction of an Integrated Solid Waste Management Plant in Barangay Ingore, La Paz.
This facility will include a plant designed to generate electricity from waste.
Ravena further emphasized that the city has only 18 months to complete the new waste facility.
In addition to Iloilo City, the municipalities of Oton, San Miguel, and Pavia also dispose of waste at the landfill.
The city generates approximately 400 tons of waste daily, and the new facility aims to address the growing waste volume.
The Integrated Solid Waste Management Plant will feature a large material recovery center to process waste and a waste-to-energy system to convert organic materials into usable energy.
Ravena revealed that as much as 90% of the city’s waste, predominantly organic materials, can be converted into energy, while the remaining non-organic waste will be processed separately.
Currently, the city is securing the necessary permits for the new facility, with the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) already under review at the DENR central office. Once approved, construction of the facility is expected to take around 18 months.
