Establishment and implemantation of a solid waste management program in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental .

Cooperation between the German Development
Service (DED) and the LGU San Carlos City

Lakbay Aral (Study Tour) visitors at the San Carlos City Eco-Center

Summary of a success story

The rapidly swelling population, increasing urbanization and intensifying economic activities have all contributed to the generation of solid wastes all over the country. The problem of solid waste and its management has become a genuine concern of San Carlos City.

In response to this problem, the local government of San Carlos City in cooperation with the German Development Service (DED) has adopted measures and taken steps like the expansion of solid waste management services, provision of a more cost-effective collection and hauling services and the development and implementation of an environmentally sound solid waste processing and disposal facility, dubbed ECO-Center. Together with a local NGO, Genesys Foundation Inc., the SWM Board conducted a massive 5 years education, information and advocacy campaign for students, city and barangay officials and private citizens in urban and rural areas to gain participation in their SWM Program and to create a more environmentally aware society.

One of the major achievements towards a sustainable Solid Waste Management Program (SWM Program) was the creation of San Carlos City Solid Waste Management Office, which is now the “working force” behind all of the workable alternatives, programs, plans and developments to solve solid waste problems and easily maintain an environmentally sound practice.

The outputs of the intervention with DED could be summarized as following:

ECO-Center is fully established and operating.
SWM Office is established and it is promoting the SWM Program and trying to convince other LGU to replicate it.
The environmentally sound closure of the old dumpsite is on going.
SWM Office is able to maintain the implemented SWM Plan
incl. ECO-Center operation, Collection and Advocacy.

The City of San Carlos has a fully operating Eco-Center in line with an improved and segregated garbage collection and participating households.

Outputs and Activities .

Final segregation at the Material Recovery Facility using slides and gravity (MRF)

ECO-Center is fully established and operating sustainable

The inauguration of the ECO-Center took place on September 13, 2008, after a construction of 18 month. During the first few months of operation the whole team focused on fine-tuning, improvements and efficiency of the processes. This led after a couple of weeks of operation to a daily recovery in the MRF of more than 60% of collected/delivered solid waste, which goes to recyclers or the composting facility. (In comparison: RA 9003 requires the LGU to divert at least 25% of all solid waste from waste disposal within 5 years)

Recovered recyclables at the MRF (shredding of bio waste in the background)

The compost production is one of the major concerns, since 50 vol% of the waste is biodegradable and it could be sold easily. The compost facility didn’t reach its possible capacity yet. Within the next six month the amount of finish compost should be doubled. With the newly constructed rotating sieve it is possible to sieve out 750 – 1,000 kg/day.

For capacity building of the composting crew we conducted 2 trainings and 1 site visit to a private composting facility

3 days basic composting seminar (November 2007) conducted from Ms Lilibeth Cadiz, a member of AHT/GTZ SWM4LGU Project and former compost organizer in Bais City
1 day vermin composting seminar in Buro Buro Farm, Bacolod (December 2007)
1 day site visit in Dumaguete/Sibulan “Amor”Composting Facility (May 2008)

The biggest challenge was and is the construction and operation of the sanitary landfill site (SLF). The final disposal of residuals is the last step in the hierarchy of SWM, hence the life span of the SLF is limiting the life span of the whole ECO-Center. To increase the capacity of the SLF both a good prior segregation in the MRF and a compaction of disposed residuals is necessary. Heavy equipment, such as a Bulldozer, which compacts and builds in the disposed residuals is assigned in the SLF.

Panorama view of the ECO-Center

A SWM Office is created under direct supervision of the City Mayors Office .

SWM Office members during the annual charter day celebration at the city hall

The establishment of an official and regular SWM Office seems essential regarding sustainability of a city’s SWM Program. In San Carlos City the SWM Office is established by executive order as a division of the City Mayor’s Office (CMO).

The SWM Office is in charge with the whole SWM Program. It is compost out of administration section, collection-team, ECO-Center-team and Info-team. Over all these are about 80 people working in San Carlos for a better environment. Especially the key-positions, SW Manager and Assistant, MRF In-Charge and Info-Team are well trained and motivated. They are all contributing to the success of the SWM Program of San Carlos City and all of them have the capacity to and the will to make it a sustainable program.

Final Closure of the old dumpsite .

Closure plan for Villarante dumpsite (bird eye view)

The old dumpsite was converted towards a controlled dumpsite starting in August 2006. opening of the ECO-Center, September 2007, it was closed for waste delivery. In May 2008 started the final closure. Negotiations with the landowners of the area regarding the acquisition of 18 lots were successfully conducted in December 2007. Additionally, the LGU bought a ca. 3 ha lot for resettlement of the adjusted squatter area. The closure and post closure management plan was finalized in February 2008 and submitted to the EMB/DENR on April 08, 2008.

The dumpsite will be converted into a city park area as shown in the picture. The LGU allocated a budget of about PhP 2 million for the final closure.

The SWM Office is promoting “Best practices” and supporting other LGU to replicate it .

SWM Office Staff and their consultant

The SWM Program of San Carlos City, especially the Eco-Center seems to be a good example for an effective and affordable integrated SWM Program particularly for similar or even smaller cities. This is shown among others in the big amount of SWM interested visitors coming since start of construction.The Eco-Center remains as a kind of a “tourist attraction” for other LGU in the whole Visayas and beyond as well as for regional and national offices. Since the opening, September 13, 2007, more than 2,000 visitors signed the guest book.

Besides facilitating the visits to San Carlos, the SW Manager, Engr. Loreto Sanchez and his Assisting Manager, Engr. Arthur Batomalaque, together with the DED-Consultant Engr. Klaus Hanuschke presented the project and promoted “SWM Best practices” at the Regional SWM Summit in Iloilo (November 15 – 16, 2007) and at the Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines Conference (SWAPPCon 2007) in Baguio (November 19 – 22, 2007). Furthermore San Carlos City, hosted the “Training on Planning and Construction of SLF” conducted from the GTZ/AHT Project SWM4LGUs-Visayas for EMB 6-8 staff, representatives of University of the Philippines, and project partner LGU.

Lakbay Aral (Study Tour) visitors at the San Carlos City Eco-Center

For supporting other LGU in their efforts of SLF construction, the Material Quality Control Division (MQC) from City Engineering Department is able to conduct a preliminary testing for clay. It already conducted clay liner testing for 2 other LGU (Bayawan City and Sipalay City) in their laboratory, which was upgraded with the help of DED in 2004.

The Info-Team of the SWM Office is trained to conduct different guided tours considering the need of the visitors such as school classes, LGU Officials, Barangay officials, etc. Contact numbers for possible visits are listed below.

Contact Persons: