The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has assured that the installation of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in four provinces in Region 4-B will be completed within the year to enable to address the problem of garbage disposal in the region.
EMB-MIMAROPA Regional Director Michael Drake Matias has ordered the completion of the construction of MRFs in 25 municipalities in Oriental Mindoro, Occidental Mindoro, Romblon, and Palawan.
The MRFs will be located in Victoria and Bulalacao in Oriental Mindoro; Abra de Ilog, Calintaan, Mamburao, Paluan, Rizal, Sablayan, and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro; Corcuera, Sta. Fe, and San Jose in Romblon; and Araceli, Balabac, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Coron, Cuyo, Dumaran, Magsaysay, Narra, Quezon, Roxas, and Taytay in Palawan.
Meanwhile, 14 newly-constructed MRFs in the region are set to be turned over to its recipient municipalities, namely Bansud, Gloria, Pinamalayan, Puerto Galera, Roxas, and San Teodoro in Oriental Mindoro; Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, and Sta. Cruz in Marinduque; and Odiongan, San Agustin, and Sta. Maria in Romblon.
The EMB in MIMAROPA has initiated the efforts to construct the said MRFs through contractors. Upon finishing the construction, the MRFs will be turned over to the respective local government units (LGUs) for their utilization.
According to the agency, the initiative was meant to assist LGUs in expediting the construction of MRFs, as the LGUs faced difficulties in looking for successful bidders for their projects, which caused the delay in the establishment of MRF in their area.
In the past two years, EMB-MIMAROPA was able to close down 19 dumpsites in the region. Four sanitary landfills are now operational, while two more landfills are set for construction.
In a statement, Matias emphasized the importance of LGU collaboration in the construction of MRFs as a solution to address the improper waste management in the region and divert other wastes into something that we may still be able to utilize.