Tulfo inspects engineered sanitary landfill in Tarlac, pushes WTE facility

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo today (Jan. 12) conducted an ocular visit to the first-ever "engineered sanitary landfill" and the country's largest waste management facility run by Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) in Tarlac.

Tulfo, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Energy, was welcomed by MCWMC Founding Director and Chairman of the Board Holger Holz and Chairman of the Management Committee Rufo Colayco, along with other board of directors, during the visit.

Tulfo lauded the MCWMC management especially upon learning that it receives an estimated 5,000 tons of garbage per day from Central Luzon and different provinces like Pampanga, Zambales and Bataan or over 1,000,000 tons per year. This is on top of industrial wastes processed from Central Luzon, Cavite and Batangas.

The 100-hectare engineered sanitary landfill was built in 2002 by virtue of service contracting in partnership with the Clark Development Corporation (CDC). Eyed to become a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, MCWMC is the only facility that is compliant to RA 9003 or Solid Waste Management Act.

During the visit, Tulfo also discussed his Waste to Energy bill with top executive members who expressed full support for his measure.

They also discussed the importance of a WTE facility to help extend the lifespan of their landfill by at least 30 years. Without it, MCWMC officials said, they and other landfill operators will be forced to expand their waste management facility and utilize precious land which otherwise should be used for agricultural/commercial purposes to accomodate growing waste generation in the Philippines.

Tulfo told company officials that some sectors are concerned that there may not be enough feedstock or waste to fuel future WTE facilities.

Colayco assured the senator that these concerns are unfounded since the amount of waste continues to increase as the population grows.

The Senator from Isabela and Davao stressed that observations from the said visit will help him and his legislative team in promoting his WTE bill to fellow lawmakers to ensure its swift passage into law.

Meanwhile, Tulfo is set to visit a WTE facility in Singapore along with his legislative team next week.

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FILIPINO

PRESS RELEASE

12 ENERO 2024

Tulfo ininspeksyon ang sanitary landfill sa Tarlac

Nagsagawa ng ocular visit ngayong araw si Sen. Idol Raffy Tulfo sa pinakaunang "engineered sanitary landfill" at pinakamalaking waste management system sa Pilipinas. Pinatatakbo ito ng Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) sa Capas, Tarlac.

Mainit na tinanggap si Sen. Idol na Chairperson ng Senate Committee on Energy nina MCWMC Founding Director at Chairman of the Board Holger Holz at Rufo Colayco na siya ring Head of Management Committee, kasama ng iba pang miyembro ng board of directors.

Pinuri ni Sen. Tulfo ang maayos na pamamahala sa nasabing pasilidad lalo na nang kanyang malaman na tinatayang nasa 5,000 toneladang basura kada araw mula Central Luzon at ibang mga lalawigan gaya ng Pampanga, Zambales at Bataan ang pinoproseso nito. Liban pa dito ang mga industrial waste na ipinapadala mula sa Cavite at Batangas.

Itinayo ang 100-ektaryang pasilidad noong 2002 sa bisa ng service contracting mula sa Clark Development Corporation (CDC).

Ang MCWMC ang nag-iisang pasilidad sa bansa na compliant sa RA 9003 o ang Solid Waste Management Act at ito ay plano nang gawin WTE facility sa mga susunod na taon.

Kaya naman diniscuss agad ni Sen. Idol ang kanyang Waste to Energy Bill sa top executive members ng naturang kumpanya kung saan ipinahayag naman din nila ang kanilang buong pagsuporta sa nasabing panukala.

Tinalakay rin ng magkabilang panig ang kritikal na papel ng mga WTE facility dahil makakatulong ito na mapahaba ang lifespan ng mga landfill ng higit sa tatlumpung taon. Ayon sa mga opisyal ng MCWMC, kung wala ito, mapipilitang gumamit ng mga lupang sana'y laan sa agrikultura o pang-komersiyo para lamang matugunan ang waste management sa bansa.

Nabanggit din ni Sen. Tulfo sa MCWMC officials ang concern ng ibang mga tao sa WTE Bill at baka kulangin ang feedstock o basura na ilalagay sa mga posibleng WTE facilities sa bansa.

Sagot naman ni Colayco, hinding-hindi mababawasan ang supply ng basura bagkus pataas pa nga ng pataas ang numero nito kasabay ng paglaki ng populasyon ng mga Pilipino.

Binigyang diin ni Sen. Idol na magiging solidong pundasyon ng kanyang legislative team ang mga obserbasyon at opinyon na kanilang nakalap sa ocular visit para tuluyan niyang makumbinsi ang kapwa niya mambabatas na maipasa agad sa lalong madaling panahon ang Waste to Energy Bill.

Sa kabilang banda, nakatakdang bumisita si Sen. Idol sa isang WTE facility kasama ang kanyang legislative team sa Singpore sa susunod na linggo.