CEBU, Philippines — Some environmental groups have expressed their opposition to the proposal of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to put up a waste-to-energy (WTE) facility as part of his recovery measures following the onslaught of typhoon Odette, they instead suggested that the city should invest on renewable energy sources.
Environmentalists claimed that putting up a WTE incinerator in the city will only exacerbate the public health and the ecological crisis caused by climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Establishing WTE facilities is an extremely expensive and dirty solid waste management method which will cause more harm to the environment and accelerate climate change,“ said Atty. Kristine Joy Argallon, of the Philippine Earth Justice Center (PEJC), in a press release.
Aside from the WTE though, Rama also considered renewable energy sources like solar with Councilor Nestor Archival as the point person.
Argallon said that the city’s post-disaster resilience should be based on ecological and sustainable principles.
“We urge Mayor Rama to rethink and scrap his plan of putting up a WTE facility in the city and consider instead investing in renewable energy sources,” Argallon added.
In a related development, public network EcoWaste Coalition said the city will end up shouldering a heavy financial burden by entering into a contract with the contractor/provider of the WTE facility.
“Typical WTE contracts have decades-long terms and contain lock-in provisions that will bind the City to expensive and onerous obligations for a long time. This is an unnecessary expenditure of public funds on a system that is dangerous to public health and the environment,” said Atty. Lievj Alimangohan, of the EcoWaste Coalition.
It also suggested that the city’s strategy be based on a robust implementation of programs that focus on waste minimization, materials recovery, and recycling.
“We hope Mayor Rama and the Cebu City Council will scrap the waste-to-energy plans for the city and reconsider their approach to waste management,” Alimangohan said. — FPL (FREEMAN)