City readies for landfill rehab

PREPARATIONS to implement the P52.4 million worth of rehabilitation and remediation projects for the Inayawan landfill are now in the offing.

According to Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., head of the City Council’s committee on public services, they are now preparing the purchase requests (PR) for the six different projects for the landfill.

“We still need to make the PR. This will include the perimeter fence, greening program, the weighing scale and others,” Gabuya told Cebu Daily News.

The rehabilitation projects include: (1) phase one of the construction of a perimeter fence worth P17.8 million; (2) phase two of the perimeter fence construction worth P17.3 million; (3) construction or rehabilitation of a causeway that connects the South Road Properties (SRP) to the landfill which costs P3.4 million; (4) work and financial plan for greening and vegetation of the landfill costing P780,000; (5) recovery of the landfill’s three-hectare service area which costs P10 million; and purchase and installation of a new weighbridge scale at the landfill.

All of these projects are to be charged to the city’s Local Development Fund (LDF) except for the purchase of the weighbridge scale which will be charged to the capital outlay of the solid waste management account of the city.

The projects were approved by the City Council last week despite the opposition of seven Barug Team Rama councilors who said they wanted to wait for the formal closure plan for the landfill before approving any project for the facility which was ordered permanently closed by the Court of Appeals (CA) last December.

According to Gabuya, these projects will have to undergo the regular bidding process.

“The bidding process would take one month at the least,” he said.

He explained that the priority of the city is the clearing of the three-hectare service area in the landfill which is covered with piles of garbage dumped over the years.

The P10-million budget for the clearing of the service area will be used to rent one bulldozer for 960 hours at a rate of P7,600 per hour and needs a budget of P7.2 million.

A backhoe will also be rented for 1,690 hours at a rate of P1,600 per hour and will cost P2.7 million.

“Once the service area is cleared, next is the installation of a materials recovery facility there, a leachate treatment plant, recycling facility and other related infrastructure project,” Gabuya said.

He explained that the earlier proposed projects for the landfill are “part and parcel” of the final closure plan to be formulated by a third party expert for the landfill.

City Hall has already identified a consultant through negotiated procurement, the Full Advantage Phils. Inc., which will be the one to conduct studies and assessment of the landfill and recommend what should be done for its rehabilitation.

The contract for the formulation of the closure plan costs P2.5 million.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) head Nida Cabrera said the consultant is still finalizing some of their requirements before they can start with the studies.