• CHERYL G. CRUZ
A contract of lease for the use of a 10-hectare property to develop a waste-to-energy (WTE) project within the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod was inked May 4 by Mayor Greg Gasataya and Forza Development Corp. president Sheryl Chua.
The leased property, designated as a WTE Industrial Zone, will be utilized for 25 years, with an annual rental fee of P1.01 million.
Gasataya clarified that the agreement covers only the lease of the property, noting that the Department of Energy has yet to determine the specific technology that will be used for the WTE initiative.
“This forms part of our broader initiative to establish a waste-to-energy project in Bacolod, which has been prioritized by the DOE,” the mayor said in a statement, adding the project will be developed at no cost to the city government.
Pending evaluation and approval from the DOE, Gasataya expressed optimism that the project will generate employment opportunities and boost the local economy through revenue shares from power generation.
“The thrust is to convert waste into energy. As to the technology, we remain neutral at this point and leave it to the DOE to decide,” he added.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod recently approved a resolution supporting sustainable waste-to-energy initiatives and calling for the adoption of science-based environmental policies in the city amid rising air pollution and the climate crisis.
It urged the Office of the City Mayor and the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) “to prioritize peer-reviewed scientific data, independent air quality monitoring, and comprehensive life-cycle assessments when evaluating and approving any waste-to-energy proposals or technologies.”
Bacolod continues to face mounting challenges on solid waste management, with the volume of waste continuously straining the capacity of the landfill, making traditional disposal methods increasingly unsustainable for a highly-urbanized city, the resolution, authored by Councilor Em Ang, said.
“Modern, sustainable waste-to-energy technologies offer a dual solution by significantly reducing the volume of solid waste requiring disposal while simultaneously generating localized, alternative power for the city,” the resolution added. | CGC
