Calajunan landfill stays open as waste-to-energy plant rises

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The Iloilo City government said the 3.5-hectare Calajunan landfill, originally set to reach the end of its 10-year operational lifespan in 2026, will continue operating beyond that period while the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) is completed.

General Services Office head Neil Ravena said that although the landfill’s official lifespan will expire this year, its operations may be extended through regulatory approval.

“It will not close yet [in December 2026]. We are still in a transition period. We will be applying for a closure plan, which will be submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Ravena said.

He added that even if the new facility is delayed, the existing landfill can still accommodate waste, provided that proper extension procedures are followed and approved by the DENR.

“We (the landfill) can still accommodate. We foresee that in case of delay, but we need to apply for an extension of its life and the DENR will inspect and evaluate it. Fortunately, our landfill in Iloilo City, for 10 years, has not experienced waste avalanches or landfill collapse, and we have also not had a landfill fire,” he said.

Ravena said coordination with the proponents of the waste-to-energy ISWMF is ongoing, with the installation of equipment expected by the fourth quarter of the year.

Trial operations are targeted for February 2027, he added.

“We will test the system using actual waste. We will load waste into the machine and measure air, water, and exhaust parameters during processing. These results will be submitted to the DENR for monitoring. Once all environmental requirements are met and parameters are compliant, operations will begin,” he explained.

The ISWMF is a PHP 2.3 billion public-private partnership project in Barangay Ingore, La Paz district, involving the city government, MetPower Venture Partners Holdings Inc., Metro Pacific Water Investments Corp., and Metro Pacific Iloilo Water.

The facility is designed to process up to 475 tons of municipal solid waste per day.

It will incorporate a materials recovery facility to enhance recycling and an anaerobic digestion biogas plant to convert organic waste into about 3.5 megawatts of renewable energy.

The energy generated by the biogas plant will support the adjacent PHP 5.5 billion desalination plant of Metro Pacific Water, contributing to the city’s water security.

The facility will also produce refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from non-organic waste, offering a cleaner alternative to coal for power generation.

The RDF is expected to replace about 5% of the coal used by Panay Energy Development Corp.

During the groundbreaking in April 2025, proponents targeted full completion of the facility by the fourth quarter of 2026.

Ravena said that once the landfill reaches closure, it will undergo bioremediation as part of its rehabilitation plan.

“We are looking for proponents. The best option is to bioremediate the area. This means restoring it to its original state. We will extract buried waste; the organic portion will have decomposed and can be used for soil recovery. Non-decomposed materials, such as plastics, will be transported back to the facility for processing before the area is restored to its original condition and made safe for future use,” he said.

The landfill currently accommodates about 400 to 500 tons of waste per day.

Aside from Iloilo City, the municipalities of Oton and Pavia also dispose of waste at the facility.

Ravena attributed the absence of major landfill incidents in Calajunan to strict operational practices, including soil cover application, proper equipment use, and engineered slope management.

“We are required to maintain proper landfill slope design, typically a 3:1 ratio, and cover waste with soil to prevent odor and exposure,” he said.

“These are sanitary landfill practices that must be strictly implemented. The slope must be maintained to prevent collapse. Issues arise when organic waste is mixed with plastics; organic matter decomposes over time, which can lead to settling or collapse if not properly managed. That is why proper landfill management is essential,” he added.

Under Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, local governments are required to operate sanitary landfills and to submit closure and rehabilitation plans to the DENR once a site reaches the end of its serviceable life.

The Calajunan site remains Iloilo City’s primary disposal area, and its extension, together with the ISWMF’s progress, is central to how the metro will manage solid waste and bolster its water supply in the coming years.