BY DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
A dispute over the operation of a vital sanitary landfill in the province has escalated into a potentially disastrous waste management crisis, with LGU officials scrambling to prevent its closure which would affect garbage disposal for 17 municipalities and a city in Bohol.
Alburquerque Mayor Don Ritchie Buates has announced plans to temporarily close the facility for rehabilitation, citing operational problems and equipment shortages.
The landfill, funded by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), serves as the primary waste disposal site for multiple towns in Bohol’s first district, with Tagbilaran City being its largest user.
However, Bohol Governor ArisAumentado dismissed the closure threat as a strategic maneuver.
“The mayor has a history of threatening closure to gain attention from authorities,” a Capitol executive told media sources.
Representative Edgar Chatto, who secured the initial funding for the landfill during his previous term as congressman and saw its completion as governor, has stepped in to mediate.
He advised Buates to consult with other mayors in the cluster and coordinate with the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) before taking any action.
“The cluster member towns should be consulted first before making any decisions about the landfill’s future,” Chatto said.
He confirmed that TIEZA officials arrived in Bohol on Thursday for a facility inspection, following his coordination with TIEZA Secretary Mark Lapid.
Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap, whose jurisdiction produces the largest volume of waste among the affected localities, is already exploring alternatives.
“We will seek DENR’s permission to establish a temporary garbage disposal facility if the Alburquerque landfill closes,” Yap said, referring to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The provincial government has floated the idea of privatizing the landfill operations as a long-term solution.
“If a private firm operates the landfill, the local government unit can just wait for its share in the revenues generated from usage fees,” Aumentado said during a media briefing.
Mayor Buates expressed openness to privatization, revealing that he had previously discussed the possibility with potential investors but had not pursued the idea.
The landfill’s governing board, composed of cluster town mayors, currently oversees operations and fee collection under Alburquerque’s local government.
The landfill project originated during Chatto’s first term as congressman, when several towns proposed establishing a sanitary landfill.
DENR approved the Alburquerque site, and funding was secured through the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) and TIEZA.
Provincial authorities have pledged immediate assistance, including lending heavy equipment to address operational issues. The Capitol has committed to helping prevent closure and ease potential garbage disposal problems.
Buates said he will consult with his Municipal Solid Waste Management Council and TIEZA before implementing any closure.
Meanwhile, other local governments, including Tagbilaran City, have offered to lend equipment as a stop-gap measure to address the immediate operational problems.
The 6.9-hectare Alburquerque Sanitary Landfill, which opened in April 2017, was designed to handle nearly 40,000 kilograms of daily waste from 17 municipalities and Tagbilaran City.
The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority funded the P300-million-peso facility.
Local environmental group HugpongAlburanonNagpakabana has protested the landfill’s location in an aquifer area, citing risks of groundwater contamination.
Residents worry about leachate seeping into water supplies.
The facility was built to comply with the Philippines’ Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, which requires closure of open dumpsites and proper waste segregation.
Studies show nearly half the collected waste is biodegradable and about a quarter recyclable, suggesting potential for waste reduction through improved management practices.