THE Philippines’ first high-technology and only world-class engineered sanitary landfill goes full steam as it sets its sights on catering to a larger market starting early next year. This was disclosed by the officials of Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. (MCWMC) during media inspection held on Friday at its main landfill facilities in Sitio Kalangitan in Capas, Tarlac. The media personnel based in Central Luzon were toured inside the landfill facilities accompanied by Michael Siebheneiger, MCWMC vice president for operations wherein he showed from the start and up to the last processing how waste materials are treated in their facilities. MCWMC president Rufo Colayco said the company is also set to build facilities for renewable-energy generation out of collected garbage next year. “Garbage is a by-product of economic prosperity. As the Philippines’ economy improves, we will only continue to produce more and more garbage.” “By using this waste as fuel for a waste-to-energy plant, we would reduce by 70 percent the volume of garbage that will need to be disposed at our facility. And by extending the lifespan of our landfill by at least 50 years, we ensure that our company will be ready to accommodate the projected volume of garbage to be generated by cities and municipalities in the Central and Northern Luzon regions” Colayco explained. The MCWMC’s vision is to develop an integrated waste management system, which means that Metro Clark would transition from merely running a sanitary landfill to becoming a high-technology recycling and renewable-energy generation operation. The MCWMC’s German partners have over 30 years’ experience in the local solid waste management business. The Tarlac-based sanitary landfill has been in operation since 2002 and is the only ISO-certified facility in the country. Metro Clark currently handles 3,000 tons of waste per day, servicing more than 100 local government units in Central Luzon including the Clark and Subic freeports, two of the country’s major economic zones based in Pampanga and Zambales, respectively. Its biggest customers include the cities of Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija, Angeles in Pampanga and Tarlac City in Tarlac province and some municipalities in Bulacan province. Of the 100 hectares occupied by the Kalangitan facility, 70 hectares are dedicated to the landfill itself, 10 hectares for recycling facilities and 15 hectares for environmental buffer. Five hectares are dedicated to offices and other uses.
