The provincial government of Negros Occidental and the nine local government units signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) July 29 for the operation and use of the La Castellana Clustered Waste Management Facility (LCCWMF).
The agreement was signed by mayors Añejo Nicor of La Castellana, Miguel Peña of Pulupandan, Ricardo Presbitero Jr. of Valladolid, Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla, and Miguel Angelo Yulo of Isabela, and local officials from the LGUs of San Enrique, Hinigaran, and Binalbagan.
The MOA allows these LGUs to utilize the La Castellana Clustered Waste Management Facility as their final disposal site for residual waste, in accordance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Located in Brgy. Manghanoy, La Castellana, the provincial government-supported facility serves as a Category 1 engineered sanitary landfill, designed to cater to clustered LGUs within the province’s fourth and fifth districts.
The agreement ensures compliance with environmental laws while promoting a coordinated and sustainable approach to solid waste management.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson witnessed the signing ceremony held in the municipality of La Castellana, together with Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau Negros Island Region OIC director Vicente Losbañes.
Lacson underscored the importance of cooperation among LGUs in addressing the growing challenge of solid waste management.
“Waste management is a responsibility that cannot be addressed by one municipality alone. It requires planning, resources, discipline, and, most importantly, cooperation,” he stressed in a Capitol press release.
Lacson noted that the provincial government fully supports the establishment of the clustered waste management facility as part of its continuing commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development in the province.
He emphasized that while the government provides the necessary systems and facilities, the success of waste management efforts ultimately depends on the commitment of local governments and the active participation of communities through proper waste segregation, reduction, reuse, and recycling. ||
