THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has recognized Bayawan City in Negros Oriental as a model for solid waste management, citing its waste segregation, recycling and disposal practices.
Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna highlighted the city’s efforts during a recent visit to the 27.4-hectare Bayawan City Waste Management and Ecology Center in Sitio Omod, Barangay Maninihon.
“Proper landfill design is possible and all LGUs should follow the example of Bayawan,” Cuna said.
Bayawan, which struggled with open dumping in the 1990s, began reforming its system through its Solid Waste Management Plan in 2002. The city introduced mandatory waste segregation at source, systematic collection, recycling and composting through local ordinances.
In 2010, the city established the Bayawan City Waste Management and Ecology Center, which includes a sanitary landfill cell, materials recovery facility, composting unit, special waste vault, and septage management system.
The facility now serves all 28 barangay (villages) and about 117,900 residents, as well as five neighboring local government units and three private companies.
Bayawan also implements a “Pay-As-You-Throw” scheme, which requires residents to place designated stickers on sacks containing residual waste before collection. Unsegregated waste is not collected, while violators face penalties.
These measures allow 80 percent of waste to be segregated before final disposal, helping recover recyclable materials and reduce the volume sent to the landfill, the DENR said.
Cuna said Bayawan has demonstrated how consistent enforcement of environmental laws, coupled with community participation, could improve solid waste management.
He cited the city’s compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and urged other local governments to adopt similar practices.
The city, however, has also faced operational problems. In 2023, the DENR issued Bayawan a Notice of Violation for failing to meet wastewater effluent standards. The agency provided technical assistance, allowing the city to address the problem and restore compliance.
The DENR urged local governments nationwide to strengthen waste segregation at source, increase waste diversion, and comply with RA 9003 to protect public health and the environment.
