The Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) Inc. formally wrote to Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Benitez March 9 on the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project being integrated into the city’s 10-year solid waste management plan.
The letter focused on the need to maintain Bacolod’s long term sustainability direction while ensuring that major infrastructure decisions related to waste management are guided by transparency, civic participation, public health safety, and sound environmental science.
NICE emphasized that Bacolod’s development over the past years has included several initiatives that positioned the city toward a more sustainable future. Among these were the vision of building sustainable cities, the solarization of the Bacolod Government Center complex, the promotion of environmental initiatives, and the activation of the Bacolod City Climate Change Council through an executive order.
In the current state of climate emergency where cities face growing environmental pressures, the organization noted in its press release that these initiatives helped shape a development path that places climate responsibility and sustainability within the city’s governance.
NICE raised concerns that the WTE project is moving forward without sufficient public disclosure and consultation, and is contrary to Benitez’s vision of a “super city” when he was mayor. The organization stressed that investments on this scale carry long-term catastrophic health, environment, financial, and governance implications.
“Waste management solutions must strengthen Bacolod’s sustainability direction, not weaken it. Transparency and meaningful consultation are essential before committing the city to a technology that will affect communities and the environment for decades,” John Dyrick Dormis, NICE deputy secretary general, said in the press release.
The group is urging the city government to temporarily halt further advancement of the WTE project until the public is fully informed and consulted.
It also sent letters to the Department of Energy, the Regional Development Council, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to ensure that the project undergoes a comprehensive review, including full public disclosure of the proposed technology, environmental safeguards, and policy compliance, as part of their mandate to uphold transparency and accountability to the people.
NICE emphasized that addressing the city’s waste problem requires solutions that prioritize ecological waste management, waste reduction, and the proper implementation of existing policies, such as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which explicitly prohibits incineration or the burning of waste that produces toxic emissions.
The organization noted that thermal WTE technologies rely on high heat combustion to burn waste, raising serious concerns regarding compliance with the law and most importantly the people’s health.
“All Bacolodnons share a responsibility in addressing the city’s waste challenges,” NICE campaigner Junjun Mojica stressed. “That means solutions must be discussed openly, with transparency and participation from the communities that will be affected.”
NICE said it hopes that Bacolod will continue building on its sustainability initiatives and maintain its direction toward becoming a truly climate responsible city. ||
