BAGUIO CITY TO HAUL GARBAGE TO ANOTHER FACILITY IN PANGASINAN

July 5, 2025 Headlines

BAGUIO CITY

A new solid waste facility is willing to accept Baguio City’s garbage following the maintenance and shut down of the Metro Waste Solid Waste Management Corporation, the company that manages the Urdaneta City Sanitary Landfill where the city previously hauled its waste. Thus, the Baguio City Council approved last June 23, a resolution authorizing Mayor
Benjamin Magalong to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with MAA Integrated Waste Solutions Corporation to hasten the hauling of waste from the city’s transfer station to its Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), also in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.

The MOA will be confirmed by the city council once it is signed by both parties. At present, the city hauls its waste to Prime Waste Solutions in Porac, Pampanga. The temporary partnership was formalized through a MOA under emergency procurement, prompted by the need to address the garbage buildup at the transfer station following the temporary shut down of Metro Waste Solid Waste Management Corp. But, according to General Services Officer Eugene Buyucan, the longer turnaround time for the city’s dump trucks has led to further accumulation of waste at the transfer station.

Since the new facility is closer, it is expected to help resolve the current problem. Under the MOA with MAA Integrated Waste Solutions Corporation, Baguio City may haul three to four
truckloads of garbage to the new site. The tipping fee for residuals is set at P550 per ton, the same rate offered by Prime Waste Solutions Corporation and lower than Metro Waste’s
P650 per ton. Buyucan explained that the city will dispose of up to 200 tons of waste per day to MAA Integrated Waste Solutions Corporation. Any excess waste generated by the city will be hauled to Prime Waste Solutions in Porac, Pampanga as a secondary option.

Such arrangement though is temporary, and when Metro Waste’s landfill resumes operations, Baguio City plans to shift back to Metro Wast because it generates lower hauling costs due to its proximity compared to Porac, Pampanga. In its memorandum on June 2, 2025, Metro Waste Solid Waste Corporation apologized to its clients for the “temporary” disruption in landfill operations due to scheduled maintenance and inspection work which was necessary to ensure the safety, efficiency, and environmental compliance of the landfill.

Artemio A. Dumlao/ABN