Manila, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Energy (DOE) are now pushing for the establishment of a Waste-to-Energy plant as an alternative facility for waste disposal, with the aim of reducing the amount of garbage being brought to sanitary landfills, which are also gradually reaching capacity.
This comes amid the growing waste problem during the rainy season that garbage is often washed away and accumulates in rivers and clogs waterways, causing widespread flooding.
According to the President, through such a facility, the garbage collected by local government units can instead be brought to a Waste-to-Energy plant and converted into energy rather than being disposed of in landfills.
The President added that the DOE is currently looking for a possible location for the proposed plant.
Despite this, the President emphasized that the plan cannot be implemented immediately and may take nearly half a year to materialize.
Lack of garbage bins and discipline are among the reasons cited by Marcos for the continued occurrence of improper waste disposal.
The President announced the Waste-to-Energy plan following his personal inspection of clearing and waste collection operations at the Diokno Pumping Station in Pasay City.
The area was filled with piles of garbage that had been washed in from Manila Bay following successive rains in several parts of the country.
Marcos also visited the Baclaran River in Parañaque City, where around 30 truckloads of solid waste were collected and hauled away through the joint efforts of 172 DPWH personnel, 185 MMDA personnel, and other agencies, including the DENR, DOLE-TUPAD, and local government units.