A Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official believes that the agency’s dream of establishing 300 sanitary landfills (SLF)--a key tool in its all-out battle against garbage--is now an achievable one.

This, after the agency, represented by Usec. Benny Antiporda, met virtually with Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Lending Program Management Group head Paul Lazaro to discuss their latest collaboration on environmental protection last Friday, February 5.

In the meeting, Antiporda proposed the private-public partnership (PPP) approach to address the lack of SLFs across the country.

"The establishment of 300 SLFs used to be an impossible dream. But with DBP, I know it will not be impossible anymore," said the undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns.

Lazaro, for his part, said: "We are looking forward to a collaboration with the DENR because ever since DBP is very much involved into the different projects or thrust of the DENR."

Earlier that day, the DENR facilitated the creation of the SLF operators’ coalition, which intends to expedite collaboration with the DENR and to identify strategic areas where they can operate.

“Now that the country’s solid waste management service providers are already organized as a coalition, they can strengthen their partnership for a better solid waste management in the country,” Antiporda said.

The DENR, he said, can link the local government unit to the bank for the purchase of the land for the SLF site, and to the private sector who will construct the facility.