P17M additional funding for Baguio waste disposal requested

Baguio City, Philippines – With the rising cost of trash being shipped out from the city, the General Services Office (GSA) of Baguio has recently requested the city council for an additional P17 million budget for its solid waste disposal.

As recalled, Baguio has been paying landfill operators outside the city since 2012, after its only dumpsite in Barangay Irisan was ordered to close by the Court of Appeals due to complaints from the residents.

In 2022, the city government’s maintenance and operating expenditures on solid waste management reached more than P186 million, according to GSA as mentioned by the Baguio City Public Information Office.

With this year’s P402.54 million funding, the agency, represented by Eugine Buyucan, is seeking such a supplemental budget. According to him, the cost of shipping trash is now becoming more expensive with the massive waste in the city due to the influx of tourists.

The agency further revealed that as of mid-2023, there are about 200 tons of garbage being collected in the city every day, where the local government pays P650 per ton or an estimated amount of P130,000 per day.

As for the request, the city council has not yet approved the proposed budget, but a discussion is scheduled for Monday, August 14.

Meanwhile, the city government is now considering privatizing the management of its solid waste to reduce the cost of operations in transferring non-biodegradable waste to a private sanitary landfill outside the city.

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