Site ready for Davao City’s planned waste-to-energy project

A 10-HECTARE lot at the southwestern part of Davao City has been purchased by the local government for the planned waste-to-energy project, according to Vice Mayor Bernard E. Al-ag. In an interview last week on the sidelines of a business sector meeting, Mr. Al-ag said the property was purchased for P49 million. The city government has already signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Finance for the implementation of the project. “It will be funded by the national government through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with a grant from the Japanese government,” he said. The project will require a capital expenditure of about P2.4 billion. Mr. Al-ag said under the timetable, construction will start later this year and completion is expected within four years. In response to the opposition from environmental groups, Mr. Al-ag said the city government decided to pursue the waste-to-energy facility because it is within the provisions of existing laws. “As long as the project will not violate the Solid Waste Management Act, as long as it is within the bounds of the Clean Air Act, then we do not have a problem,” he said. Kitakyushu City in Japan, a sister city of Davao, will provide the technology for the facility’s operations. — Carmelito Q. Francisco