A LAWMAKER said they approved P34 million for second reading on Tuesday, May 26, to construct a landslide mitigation structure at the existing sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District.
The approval of the budget under the Supplemental Budget 1 of 2026 was expedited due to the fatal collapse of the landfill on May 20 that killed one waste picker.
“This fund includes the budget for the CENRO and City Engineers Office with regards to the incident at the sanitary landfill,” Councilor Tek Ocampo, committee chair on environment and natural resources, said in a press conference on Tuesday.
He said the city government is complying with all requirements imposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI to reopen the landfill.
“Hopefully, we can comply with all the necessary requirements by the DENR in order to resume operations as soon as possible,” he said.
In the meantime, the councilor said the waste collection will continue despite the suspension of disposal operations at the existing facility.
“The waste collection will continue, di nato pwede undangon,” Ocampo said, stressing the city government has coordinated with the barangay officials to assist with the collection.
He said there might be operational adjustments that could result in temporary delays.
According to data from CENRO, the actual average disposal at the sanitary landfill as of 2025 reaches 753 tons daily. The facility is already operating at full capacity after opening in December 2010.
Ocampo said the city is expediting the construction of a second sanitary landfill spanning 6.5 hectares, adjacent to the current site, where construction began in October 2024.
He said the project cannot be rushed as it must comply with strict environmental requirements from DENR to ensure long-term use.
The councilor said there are international players to assist the city in alternative waste management technologies.
Ocampo cited proposals from a firm interested in studying methane gas recovery from the sanitary landfill and a Malaysian-Singaporean company, Gain Cities, with expertise in “no sanitary landfill” and has proposed waste-to-resources technology.
“We already have the legal opinion on that, and we just need to pass it for the mayor to sign the memorandum of understanding for the feasibility study,” the councilor said.
