By Zaldy Comanda
BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Cordillera granted the request of the city to reopen the Irisan dumpsite to head off another garbage crisis.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MANILA BULLETIN)
DENR-Cordillera Regional Director Ralph Pablo informed Mayor Benjie Magalong that the agency decided to reopen the facility on condition the city collect the mixed waste that was piling up by the end of the month.
The city must also see to it that the two Environmental Recycling System (ERS) machines for converting biodegradable waste will be operational by that time.
During a meeting at the dump, Magalong directed the partner of the local government, Rapport Innovations, to speed up the upgrading of the machines.
Last June 26, Undersecretary Benny Anteporda issued a temporary order stopping Baguio from operating the ERS machines because of alleged environmental violations.
Among the other conditions for lifting the order are the proper collection of biodegradable waste and the conversion of the area into an eco-friendly park by December 31.
Magalong said the over 40,000 cubic meters of raw compost in the dump must be converted into compost fertilizer by the third quarter of next year so that converting the dump into a park could be finished by the first quarter of 2021