The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) is keen on helping all local government units (LGUs) in the country gain access to much-needed sanitary landfills (SLFs).

"As a solution for LGUs that cannot put up their own disposal facilities, the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the NSWMC are looking at the clustering of these LGUs a single sanitary landfill," DENR Undersecretary Benny D. Antiporda said in a statement Tuesday, June 1.

This, as Antiporda bared the DENR's plan to bring in the private sector through public-private partnership (PPP) in constructing an additional 300 SLFs nationwide within the next two years.

"There are only 237 sanitary landfills in operation across the country servicing some 449 LGUs which all have SLF requirements for their cities and municipalities. This number is still regrettably small," he pointed out.

Antiporda, the undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns and NSWMC alternate chairman, reiterated that SLFs are the primary long-term method of solid waste disposal allowed under Republic Act (RA) No.9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

"Moving forward with the additional 300 sanitary landfills within the next two years through the PPP scheme is the best option possible to effectively address the country’s management of solid waste," he said.

The recent closure of all illegally operating open dumpsites in the country--as ordered by DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu--has magnified the need for LGUs to have their own SLFs. The shutdown of open dumpsites was in line with RA No.9003.

Also on Tuesday, the NSWMC bared that it had approved a total of 1,082 solid waste management plans (SWMPs) from LGUs or 63 percent of its target nationwide.

"The approved plans will serve as a blueprint on how these sanitary landfills will be optimized by these clustered LGUs," Antiporda said.

Data from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) showed that another 558 SWMPs are currently under evaluation. Of the figure, 332 are almost finished pending the submission of additional data that mostly involve budgetary requirements and specifics on proper final disposal facilities.

"Enabling our local executives to strengthen their capacities for effective solid waste management is a priority of the DENR and the NSWMC, especially LGUs facing difficulties with their solid waste management programs," Cimatu said.

"To the provinces whose towns and municipalities are now all with their approved SWMPs, we commend the leadership of your local executives," he added.