12/12/2008 -

A common sanitary landfill (SLF) that will service six municipalities in the province of South Cotabato will soon be constructed in Surallah town whose mayor signed a Memorandum of Agreement with mayors and representatives of the other five municipalities in ceremonies held Dec. 6 at the Fitmart Mall in Koronadal City.

DENR Assistant Secretary Gerardo Calderon, concurrently the head of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) secretariat, witnesses the signing.

The agreement calls for the establishment of a common SLF that will cater to the needs of Surallah and nearby towns: T’boli, Sto. Nino, Lake Sebu and Norala. All six municipalities generate 23.50 kilos of residuals daily, requiring the construction of a Category 2 SLF.

A site has already been selected and underwent the necessary tests conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Surallah has already allocated funds for its purchase, which is expected to be finalized as soon as necessary documentations are completed. The provincial government of South Cotabato has set aside P5-million for the SLF construction.

“Our governor, Daisy Avance-Fuentes, is giving us her full support to enable us to comply with the requirements of the Ecological Solid waste Management Act,” said Mayor Romulo Solivio of Surallah. “The provincial government, with the help of EcoGov, is really serious in its efforts to protect and conserve our environment.”

USAID’s Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project is working with the provincial government in directly assisting Surallah and the other municipalities in the province in their solid waste management programs.

The NSWMC and EcoGov encourage small towns to work together and establish SLFs for common use.

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