• THERESA MAE DULMAN
A broad coalition of civil society organizations, youth groups, and faith-based institutions formally launched the Zero Waste Alliance – Negros Occidental to oppose thermal-based technologies for Bacolod’s proposed waste-to-energy project in the city’s sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.
The alliance is calling for a decisive shift away from incineration and thermal-based technologies, asserting that such methods pose significant risks to public health and the environment.
The move follows the release of a manifesto on May 5 which highlighted concerns regarding toxic emissions, long-term economic burdens, and a perceived lack of transparency in the city’s decision-making process.
Catherine Trespuentes, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairperson of Barangay Felisa and a member of the alliance, stated that the group is proposing community-based solutions over incineration.
The coalition emphasized that the city already has a legal framework under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which mandates segregation at source, composting, and the establishment of materials recovery facilities at the barangay level.
The formation of the alliance reflects a growing collective concern, as several organizations that previously supported the city’s waste-to-energy initiatives, including the Bacolod Anti-Baha and the Social Action Center, have joined the opposition to WTE.
In its manifesto, the alliance urged the Bacolod City Mayor’s Office to uphold transparency and accountability while ensuring the inclusion of waste workers in a just and sustainable system.
The petition was signed by nearly 30 organizations, including the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment, Akbayan Youth, and various labor and urban poor federations.
Mayor Greg Gasataya previously stated that they are still in the paperwork process of the WTE and no technology has been chosen yet.*
