NAGA CITY --- Good governance pays. And it did not take long for a rich country from Europe to find a partner-city in Asia to develop a modern solid waste landfill facility that is anchored on the principle of shared capacity in finding solutions to global problems.

        Consultants from the Czech Republic led by Director Michal Pastvinsky of the Czech Ministry of Environment and International Development Cooperation Program are coming to this city to formalize finalization of a 10-year ecological solid waste management plan that will pave the way for a modern and efficient sanitary landfill facility that other local government units in the country may replicate.

        The program is a partnership initiative between the local government and the International Development Cooperation Program of the Czech Republic.

        Already, a memorandum of understanding has been inked between the city government, thru City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo, and Enviros, a consultancy firm commissioned by the Czech Republic, for the implementation of the project dubbed “Improvement of Solid Waste Management in Naga City.

        Early last month, Mayor Robredo met with the Czech officials and top officers of Enviros in Prague to discuss important points regarding the agreement. In that meeting, the mayor was assured of a technical assistance in the estimated amount of P8 million.

        His trip and accommodation and that of City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Oscar Orozco’s to the northern European country were shouldered by the Czech government.

        The mayor said that in meeting with the Czech officials he also pushed for the possible extension of the international cooperation agreement to cover the rehabilitation of the Naga River, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for a sustainable environment program.

        The mayor added that while the Balatas dumpsite is still capable of sustaining a workable life of three to four more years, the city is already prepared for the partial closure of the Balatas dumpsite effective late this year or in January 2009 to pave the way for the early start of groundworks for the new sanitary landfill.

        He disclosed his office has found a buyer for the collected plastic wastes and other recyclable materials that have significantly reduced the volume of wastes unloaded daily by trucks at the dumpsite.

        Sanitary landfill

        Sanitary landfill is a method of disposing refuse of land without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety, by utilizing the principles of engineering to confine the refuse to the smallest volume, and to cover it with a layer of earth at the end of each day’s operation.

        The design and construction require that sanitary landfills must be lined with an impermeable layer (either a geo-membrane or soil liner, or a combination of both) to impede the leachate from percolating through the soil strata, and eventually to the groundwater.

        Robredo said that once established, the Naga sanitary landfill which is being conceived with the view of accommodating collected wastes not only from Naga but also from other neighboring towns such as Magarao, Camaligan and Gainza will become a model for replication by other cities in the country especially those urban centers that are being hounded by increasing volume of garbage not only from their own boundaries but also from other adjoining towns and cities.

        The Czech Republic which will help secure funding for the ambitious project is one of the forty wealthiest countries in the world. It is at the forefront of the new European Union member states which has increased it financial allocation on foreign development cooperation in order to fulfil its international commitments, particularly specific measures to meet the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals of alleviating global poverty and protecting the environment.

        For its part, the Naga city government will provide all necessary resources that it already has and capacities to reach expected achievements. A project steering committee will be established to provide guidelines to and monitor the project.

        The other members of the arriving Czech consultants are Enviros Director Jaroslav Vich, Enviros foreign contracts manager Jaroslav Koubal, and team member Jan Pavlik.

        City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Oscar Orozco said a series of consultation and technical meetings will be conducted where other local chief executives and stakeholders from interested member-towns of the Metro Naga Development Council will be invited.

        The project also involves the location of a new sanitary landfill and treatment plant with the view that the existing dumpsite in Bgy. Balatas here will be closed for operation on or before 2010 as called for by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or R.A. 9003 which aims to address the escalating problem of solid waste in the country.

        Orozco said that while there are several kinds of land filling methods, the most suitable one must be selected depending on the location and topographic conditions of the landfill site, daily landfilled waste volume, as well as daily soil cover so as to improve stabilization of the landfill site, create a physically strong foundation, and improve the usability of the completed landfill. Proper landfill equipment must also be used to sufficiently compact the landfilled wastes.

        The Czech Republic focuses it development cooperation assistance to 8 priority countries: Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zambia. While the Philippines is not included, Naga City was able to break through an otherwise unexpected partnership with the Czech government where mutual understanding and cooperation has since begun to flourish.