A CITIZEN Participatory Audit (CPA) team reviewing Iligan City’s Solid Waste Management Program has flagged the local government over improper collection and disposal of tons of garbage generated by city residents.
In a 112-page report submitted to the office of Mayor Frederick Siao and the Sangguninang Panlungsod on April 19, 2024, a team composed of state auditors and representatives of civil society organizations said the city has failed to establish proper disposal sites for solid wastes.
The group said it conducted the audit planning and fieldwork from October 2023 to February 2024 while its report was drafted from March to April 2024.
It reported that out of 44 barangays, there were seven that had no material recovery facilities (MRFs), while nine others had MRFs listed as not operational, temporary, or “no information obtained.”
Evaluation of the city government’s fleet of hauling equipment revealed that the four biggest dump trucks are no longer operational having exceeded their usable lifespans, according to the City Environ-ment and Management Office (CEMO).
Out of 15 mini-Isuzu dump trucks acquired by the LGU, nine were distributed to selected barangays for shared use for garbage collection. The audit team found only five are still running.
A Sino mini dump truck is also lying idle, needing repair but spare parts could not be found.
Two other mini-dump trucks and two Isuzu Giga trucks remain operational and running haulage.
“The planned garbage collection schedules were not followed due to long vehicle downtimes of the mini dump trucks used to collect garbage in barangays. Furthermore, it was also reported that the newly pur-chased dump trucks deteriorated rapidly in just a short period,” the auditors said.
From the Barangay MRFs, the bulk of the city’s garbage make a first stop at the Central Material Recov-ery and Composting Facility in Barangay Bonbonon, Iligan City to be further sifted to reduce the volume.
The residual waste then makes its way to the city’s new sanitary landfill in Sitio Mibala, Tipanoy, Iligan City, which has an estimated life span of 25 years.
“During the ocular inspection of the BMRFs, we passed by the City Central Materials Recovery and Com-posting Facility (CMRCF) located in Barangay Bonbonon and the team noted the huge volume of moun-tain-like wastes which seemed to be composed of all types of wastes,” the auditors said.
According to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) — Region 10, Barangay Bonbonon formerly hosted the city’s illegal open dumpsite that was ordered closed in 2020.
“The city, instead of developing a sanitary landfill, operated another dumpsite even without obtaining an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) which is required before a solid waste facility can be op-erated or expanded,” the CPA team revealed.
The city government assured the audit team that the second dumpsite in Barangay Santiago has also been closed with a rehabilitation plan already drawn and the construction phase set to commence re-garding fencing structure in the perimeter.
Responding to the audit findings, the city mayor admitted that addressing the solid waste management problem has become a pressing one because of Iligan City’s rapidly expanding population.
The challenge is compounded by the fact that the soil type in the greater area of the city is considered “not viable” for sanitary landfills due to potential leaching that can contaminate nearby bodies of water.
However, the mayor said city officials have been looking at other options including the construction of a waste-to-energy facility which is eyed for its dual purpose of cutting down the LGU’s expense on street lighting.
