Executives of Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC) expressed support to the waste-to-energy bill filed by Senator Rafael Tulfo during his ocular visit to the country’s first “engineered sanitary landfill” and largest waste management system in Tarlac province.
MCWMC founding director and chairman of the board Holger Holz and co-founder Rufo Colayco, along with other board of directors, welcomed Tulfo, chairperson of the Senate committee on energy, during the visit on Jan. 12, 2024.
Tulfo lauded the management of the facility which is receiving about 5,000 tons of garbage a day from Pampanga, Zambales and Bataan or more than 1,000,000 tons a year. This is on top of industrial wastes processed from Cavite and Batangas provinces.
The 100-hectare facility was built in 2002 after MCWMC signed a service contract with Clark Development Corp. (CDC). Envisioned to become a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, it was found compliant with Republic Act No. 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act.
MCWMC officials discussed the importance of the WTE facility in helping extend the lifespan of the landfill by at least 30 years.
They said that without a WTE, the waste management facilities would be forced to expand and utilize precious land area which should rather be used for agricultural/commercial purposes to accommodate the growing waste generation in the Philippines.
Tulfo said some people were concerned that there might not be enough feedstock or waste to put in future WTE facilities.
Colayco assured Tulfo that the amount of waste would continue to increase as the population grows.
Tulfo said the observations from the MCWMC visit would help him and his legislative team promote the bill to fellow lawmakers.
Tulfo said he would also visit a WTE facility in Singapore.