BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A coalition of civil society, youth, environmental, urban poor, labor, and faith-based groups has launched the Zero Waste Alliance-Negros Occidental to oppose waste incineration and press Bacolod City to adopt community-based solid waste solutions.
The alliance said Thursday that Bacolod should abandon waste-to-energy technologies that rely on thermal processes, warning that such projects could pose risks to public health, the environment, and the city’s long-term waste management system.
The launch comes as Bacolod City advances its waste-to-energy plan this year. City officials have moved to integrate WTE into the Bacolod Integrated Recycling and Technology Hub, or BIRTH, in Barangay Felisa, with the city earlier describing the project as part of its updated 10-year solid waste management plan. Mayor Greg Gasataya also signed a lease agreement with Forza Development Corp. on May 4 for a 10-hectare property intended for the WTE facility within the city’s sanitary landfill area. The city said the project remains subject to Department of Energy evaluation.
Photo source: Zero Waste Alliance Negros Occidental
“We are coming together because Bacolod stands at a critical turning point,” said Catherine Trespuentes, SK Felisa chairperson and alliance member. “We are proposing an alternative approach that is sustainable and highlights community-based solutions rather than incineration that poses public health and environmental health risks.”
The alliance said its manifesto, released online May 5, raised concerns over toxic emissions, possible long-term economic burdens, and the lack of transparency and meaningful public dialogue in decision-making.
Citing Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the group said Bacolod already has a framework for sustainable waste management but needs stronger implementation. It called for segregation at source, composting, recycling, and barangay-level materials recovery facilities.
“We are urging the city government to choose a path that protects public health, respects the law, and includes communities in decision-making,” youth leader Katherine M. Dela Cruz said.
The alliance said waste workers should be included in any transition to a sustainable waste system. It also said groups that had earlier supported the WTE project, including Bacolod Anti-Baha and the Social Action Center, have joined the alliance, reflecting growing concern over the proposal.
Paghimutad 