Local officials propose tipping fee for Boracay trash

AKLAN, Philippines – The Municipal Solid Waste Management Board (MSWMB) urged the legislative body to pass an ordinance on tipping charges on garbage collected in Malay, Aklan and Boracay Island to help the sustainability of solid waste management operations.

A tipping fee is charged by the waste processing facility for maintenance cost. The collection of tipping fee is part of the town’s cost-recovery mechanism program for solid waste management.

Town councilor Jupiter Aelred Gallenero said the transaction fees of P10 per kilo of regular waste and P670 per kilo of toxic waste are proposed in Malay eco-center sanitary landfill in mainland Malay and Central Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Boracay. (READ: Boracay boat operator to charge double the previous fare)

“Ang hauling ng residual waste sa isla papuntang mainland Malay ay na-privatize na. Ang mga entities na gustong i-avail ang services ng eco-center sanitary landfill at MRF sa disposal ng basura ay kailangan mag-bayad ng tipping fee ayon a SWMB,” said Gallenero, also the committee chairperson on laws and ordinances.

(Hauling of residual waste from the island to mainland Malay has been privatized. Entities that want to avail of the servies of the eco-center sanitary landfill and the MRF for the disposal of trash need to pay a tipping fee according to the SWMB.)

In 2014, the island generated waste of 45 tons per day (tpd), which is estimated to further balloon to 109 tpd by 2020. Solid waste generation in mainland Malay, which was at 7 tpd in 2014, is also predicted to increase more than double to 16 tpd by 2020.

Boracay Island has a central MRF which process the segregated wastes collected from the island. The residuals from the Boracay MRF and those collected from Malay mainland are disposed of in a sanitary landfill in mainland Malay in Barangay Kabulihan.

Under Section 10 of Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act (RA) 9003, the local government units (LGUs) are primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcements of the provisions within their respective jurisdictions. 

Section 16 also tasked the province, city or municipality, through its SWMB, to prepare its 10-year-old waste management plans consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework, provided that the waste management plan should be for the reuse, recycling, and composting of waste generated. 

RA 9003 also requires LGUs all over the country to decentralize garbage collection and disposal. Section 32 orders all LGUs to make sure all barangays under their jurisdiction have an MRF where recyclables and compostables are separated from residual garbage and are stored for recycling or composting. – Rappler.com

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