BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Around P100 million will be earmarked by both the national and local governments to solve the garbage woes faced by the city, particularly at the Irisan dumpsite.

Baguio City Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara said P60 million will be sourced out from the national government purposely to clear the “trashslide” on Baguio-Asin Road that flowed all the way to Tuba, Benguet.

The P60 million was sourced out by Vergara and Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson after both city officials briefed the public works official on the status of the city’s dump facility.

Almost P40 million more will come from the city’s calamity fund to haul out the nearly 20,000 tons of old garbage that flowed out of the dumpsite during the onslaught of typhoon “Mina,” the solon said.

Singson required the city government to submit to his office the detailed program of work for the construction of a steel fence which will be done through pile driving in order to construct a sturdy super structure to reinforce the dumpsite retaining wall that will prevent the occurrence of similar incidents in the future which could compromise the lives of the people living below the facility.

Vergara disclosed P50 million will be utilized for the partial construction of the Irisan super structure considering that the full amount to be utilized for the purpose will still be subjected to evaluation and review by the DPWH Secretary while P10 million will be used to clear the trash along the Baguio-Asin road and the hill below the dumpsite.

For his part, Domogan signed an agreement with Mark Anthony Agsalud, a licensed sanitary landfill expert, for the temporary hauling of the city’s waste to San Manuel, Pangasinan which is much cheaper considering that the town is nearer to the city compared to Urdaneta City, Pangasinan and Capas, Tarlac.

At the same time, Rotech Machineries Corporation, the supplier of the city’s 128 million Environmental Recycling system (ERS) machines, will also haul out the city’s residual waste to its plant in Rosales, Pangasinan pursuant to its commitment in an earlier agreement in order to significantly address the city’s waste disposal problem which has not yet been perfected as over 90 percent of the residents still do not segregate their waste at source.