With the impending closure of the Kalangitan landfill in Capas, Tarlac in October this year, the new P1-billion material recovery facility (MRF) in Porac may well be the practical and suitable alternative.
At Tuesday’s News @ Hues, monthly media forum of Pampanga Press Club staged in cooperation with Park Inn by Radisson Clark, guest Cara Peralta, lead officer for waste sector of Prime Infrastructure (Prime Infra) said, “We really want to be able to provide an alternative to different LGUs like a large scale MRF like ours.”
Prime Infra, through its Prime Waste Solutions, companies under the diversified business conglomerate of Filipino billionaire Enrique Razon, opened on June 5 with DENR Secretary Ma. Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga, Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda and Mayor Carmelo Lazatin among the honored guests.
Peralta, however, clarified that the 10-hectare MRF in Barangay Planas in Porac town is not a landfill, as the large-scale MRF will focus on waste recovery that will cater to segregation, recycling, sorting and treatment.
“The facility that we have is not a landfill. It is not an open dumpsite,” Peralta said.
Open dumpsites which are now banned by law and improperly operated landfills can cause fire, water contamination in nearby bodies of water, putting peoples safety is at risk.
Peralta added that the MRF, capable of accommodating 5,000 tons per day, is highly automated and is geared towards recovery of waste into something reusable.
“We estimate that once we are fully operational, 80 to 90 percent of waste that we receive will be recovered and (be) used for something of value,” she added.
Earlier, members of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), led by one of its directors, Rene G. Romero, conducted an inspection of facilities, including the Prime Infra MRF in Porac.
Romero said that the MRF of Prime Infra was found to have the “best facilities and processes” after concluding an ocular inspection of three alternative waste sites in Pampanga.
“It features high standard facilities and is future ready for waste to energy conversion or fuel value facility. I can confidently say that it is the most premium among the three waste facilities,” Romero said at News@Hues.
He noted that the three waste facilities would have a combined capacity of 11,000 metric tons, and should be sufficient to allay the fears of a possible garbage disposal crisis.
“Wala tayo dapat ipag alala, kasi meron tayo sasalo sa dumi not only in Central Luzon but also northern Luzon (areas),” the PamCham director said.
Earlier, Clark Development Corporation (CDC) announced that the contract with Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation will no longer be renewed due to contractual limitations and planned development initiatives by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for New Clark City.
CDC said the BCDA is keen on the development and increase of the economic value of the 100-hectare land area currently covered by a Contract for Service with MCWMC located in the New Clark City.
CDC stressed it is pursuing alternative waste management solutions and procuring the services of a garbage collector for Clark within its jurisdiction, the Clark Freeport Zone, and the Clark Special Economic Zone. Additionally, the CDC will accredit service providers for its locators/investors, ensuring designated disposal facilities for hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
Meanwhile, the BCDA said it will assist local government units, government agencies, and locators to explore alternative solutions for the affected stakeholders’ waste disposal requirements to ensure non-disruption of solid waste management services.
