BAGUIO CITY – The City General Services Office (GSO) said residents and businesses here generate about 550 tons of mixed waste daily, making solid waste management one of the major concerns of the local government that requires various solutions.

GSO head Eugene Buyucan said about 300 tons of generated garbage were collected, 100 tons were recyclables, and the remaining amount was handled by large companies.

He admitted that the amount of garbage is increasing due to more people moving from other areas and businesses wanting to operate in the urban center.

The GSO official stressed that with the continued strict implementation of segregation at source and sorting of recyclables, among other strategies, the amount of residual waste hauled out of this city will continue to decrease.

Buyucan revealed that for this year, the city government allocated about P192 million for hauling and tipping fees for the disposal of residual waste at designated solid waste facilities in the lowlands.

He said the closure of the Capas engineered sanitary landfill in Tarlac and the temporary setback suffered by the landfill in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan almost had a major impact in the city’s resources for hauling.

Buyucan said that concerned officials were able to negotiate with the management of the Porac engineered sanitary landfill in Pampanga and the operator of another landfill in Urdaneta City which allowed the city to maximize the use of its available resources to continue to haul and properly dispose of the remaining garbage.

He urged residents and business owners to strictly comply with the regulations imposed on the disposal and collection of garbage to ensure cleanliness and order.

Buyucan said that the city always ensures that garbage brought out by the people during collection schedules at designated pickup points will be promptly collected, except in some cases when garbage trucks experience technical concerns that may cause temporary delays.