• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod’s Recovery and Recycling Complex and Ecopark, worth P160 million, will rise in the city’s sanitary landfill property in Barangay Felisa, with the groundbreaking and time-capsule laying ceremony held Wednesday, March 12, led by Mayor Alfredo Benitez and Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya.
Benitez said the project aims to improve solid waste management, create opportunities for recycling, and provide a space that promotes environmental awareness and education.
“Our vision for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Bacolod is finally coming to life. Today, we take the first step toward making it a reality with the groundbreaking of the Bacolod Recovery and Recycling Center with Ecopark in Barangay Felisa,” the mayor said.
Ma. Fe Trespuentes, head of the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the Recovery and Recycling Complex includes the construction of a mechanized Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) as well as site development works, including road, worth P103 million; machineries and equipment needed to run the MRF, P47 million; and installation of electrical and lighting systems in the whole facility, P10 million.
The facilities and equipment will include a conveyor belt sorting line, integrated waste solutions in MRF operations, baling of recyclables, tree trimming and yard waste disposal for recycling, and windrow composting.
The mechanized central MRF will be able to process various types of recyclable materials, including plastic waste, biodegradable waste, glass, paper, and metal, the city said.
Trespuentes said this project is two years and a half in the making, and will serve Bacolod for 30 years and beyond.
Councilor Claudio Jesus “Kalaw” Puentevella, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment and Ecology, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the project is a “critical step towards securing a sustainable future in terms of waste collection and recovery.”
“This will serve as a cornerstone in our journey towards reducing waste, conserving resources, and promoting a circular economy,” he added.
The recycling complex at the 33-hectare property is part of the planned expansion of the city sanitary landfill.
In 2023, the city purchased a 25-hectare property next to the landfill for P128 million using part of the P4.4 billion loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines.
The contractor is IPM Construction and Development Corp., with the P160 million also sourced from the DBP loan.
Trespuentes said the Recovery and Recycling Complex is expected to be finished by the second quarter of next year. | CGC
