Baguio averts garbage crisis but cost of hauling nearly doubles

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The problem is caused by the closure of an engineered sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan

BAGUIO, Philippines – Baguio City narrowly avoided a garbage crisis this week after officials struck an emergency deal to divert trash to a private landfill in Pampanga, following the abrupt closure of its usual dump site in Pangasinan.

Before that, the local authorities asked residents not to bring out trash “until further notice,” following the sudden closure of a landfill in Pangasinan.

The city sends its garbage as far as Pampanga and Pangasinan, spending over P200 million annually on hauling and tipping fees for residual waste. Most barangays outside the central business district have waste collected only once a week.

The city’s General Services Office (GSO) said on Monday night, June 2, it could not collect residual waste due to the temporary closure of the engineered sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

While many residents complied with the directive, others still put out their trash, causing piles to build up amid intermittent rain.

Margie Della, assistant head of the GSO, said the city government had secured an emergency arrangement with the town of Porac in Pampanga to use a private sanitary landfill there.

Primewaste Solution’s facility in Porac agreed to start accepting Baguio’s garbage on Thursday, June 5, she said.

However, the cost of hauling will nearly double. Baguio will pay P1,600 per ton, compared to P853 per ton in Urdaneta. The tipping fee will be slightly lower, from P650 to P550 per ton.

The Porac site will be used until the Urdaneta landfill becomes operational again, Della said.

Baguio generates nearly 600 tons of waste daily. A 2022 Waste Analysis and Characterization Study found that 35.9% of the waste is biodegradable, 32.55% is residual, and 30.82% is recyclable. – Rappler.com