WASTE NOT, WANT NOT?: Inside Iloilo City’s Trash Dilemma and the ISWMF Gamble

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

On April 4, the city government of Iloilo broke ground on what it lauds as a landmark project: the Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF), a waste-to-energy (WTE) project touted as a sustainable solution to the metro’s growing garbage crisis. But is it truly a shift toward greener technologies—or merely a rebranded version of outdated, polluting systems?

The ISWMF will rise on a three-hectare property in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz district —just meters from the Panay Energy Development Corporation’s (PEDC) coal-fired power plant and an under-construction desalination plant.

With a price tag of P2.3 billion, the facility is part of a public-private partnership involving the city government, MetPower Venture Partners Holdings Inc., Metro Pacific Water Investments Corp. (MPWIC), and Metro Pacific Iloilo Water (MPIW).

The project has a projected capacity to handle 475 tons per day (TPD) of the city’s solid waste and 115 tons of septage per day from the MPIW, reducing the city’s dependence on traditional landfilling practices.

A New Tech — Or the Same Old Story?

According to MetPower, the ISWMF will not use incineration but anaerobic digestion (AD) — a process that breaks down organic waste in oxygen-free tanks, generating biogas for electricity.

Incineration involves burning waste materials to significantly reduce their volume and eliminate hazardous compounds. While incineration can recover energy by converting the thermal output into electricity, it can release harmful pollutants into the air if not properly managed.

“We’re not going to be combusting [or there is no incineration], so there’s no pollution to speak of,” said Jose Maria Niño Jesus Madara, president of MetPower Venture.

City officials also stressed that the facility will not be a landfill or dumpsite. Instead, it will follow a closed-loop system that turns waste and septage into energy, fertilizer, and recyclables.

“We will not be bringing a dumpsite here in Ingore. We will also not bring a sanitary landfill here in Ingore. We will not be constructing a dumpsite or sanitary landfill,” said Engr. Neil Ravena of the Iloilo City General Services Office.

At the heart of the facility is a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which serves as the first point of contact for all incoming waste. Here, waste is sorted and segregated—separating organics from recyclables and residuals. Recyclable materials like metals and plastics are recovered for reuse.

Adjacent to the MRF is a Septage Receiving Facility (SRF), designed to handle and treat raw septage collected from across Metro Iloilo, particularly from MPIW’s sanitation operations.

The sorted organic waste and pre-treated septage are then funneled into the Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) system. This process prepares the biodegradable material for the AD units—sealed, oxygen-free tanks where microbes break down organic matter to produce biogas.

This biogas, rich in methane, is then used to power gas engines or the facility’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant, generating an estimated 3.44 megawatts of renewable energy —enough to meet the facility’s needs and power the adjacent desalination plant by 2027.

MetPower Engineering Consultant Jose Capote emphasized that capturing methane is critical, as it is 22 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

He added that only about 10% of the waste—mostly non-organic residuals like dirt and rocks—will require disposal in another landfill.

The ISWMF also features an RDF (Refuse-Derived Fuel) Production Plant, where non-recyclable, high-calorific-value waste is processed into fuel pellets. These RDF pellets are intended to replace up to five percent of the coal burned by the PEDC.

Engr. Richard Andal of MetPower assured that the ISWMF’s design adheres to both Philippine and international mechanical engineering standards amid residents’ concerns on safety, odor, and pest infestation.

“The connection of the pipes will be of the highest standards. We will ensure that the gas leaks will be minimized or mitigated. We will monitor the biogas that will potentially leak by putting monitors on the system,” he said.

The facility’s fully enclosed design is another major claim made by the developers. According to Andal, the ISWMF will process all garbage — starting from the unloading of trucks to the separation and conversion of waste — entirely indoors.

“The waste will not be dumped outside. There will be a concrete pit, a bunker, where the mixed waste will be put before it is fed into processing machinery that will sort the biodegradable from the non-biodegradable,” he explained.

This closed-loop approach is meant to eliminate foul odors and prevent the attraction of disease-carrying pests, both common complaints in traditional open dumpsites.

End of the line for Calajunan

The city’s top reason for the construction of the ISWMF is the looming closure of the Calahunan sanitary landfill in Mandurriao by 2026, after completing its 10-year operational lifespan.

The sanitary landfill was officially opened and inaugurated in August 2016. It was developed as part of the city’s efforts to comply with Republic Act 9003, which mandates the closure of open dumpsites and the establishment of sanitary landfills.

The landfill was built on a 3.3-hectare site within the 23-hectare Calajunan open dumpsite area and was funded through a loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines in 2014.

The landfill was used not only by the 180 villages of Iloilo City but also by neighboring towns such as Oton, San Miguel, and Pavia, which made the area experience a steady increase in waste over the years, reflecting the growing challenges of urbanization and population growth in the region.

“The Calahunan landfill is getting filled. So they’re looking to rehabilitate that land for other uses. And there has to be a new element of how we manage that waste,” said Capote.

City records reveal that as of October 2024, around 615,233 metric tons of waste had already been dumped into the Calahunan landfill, occupying 75% of its designed capacity of 824,070 metric tons.

 

A report from the Iloilo City Council’s environment committee also noted that the landfill has already begun to show signs of failure. Residents nearby have reported a rise in respiratory illnesses and other communicable diseases, raising concerns over air pollution and the potential leakage of leachate into the surrounding water table.

Around 300 informal waste collectors — families who depend on salvaging recyclable materials—live and work around the Calahunan site.

Efforts have been made to formalize and support their livelihoods through partnerships with the German development agency GIZ and Central Philippine University.

These led to the formation of the Uswag Calahunan Livelihood Association, Inc. (UCLA), which enabled the community to engage in small-scale waste-to-energy ventures, such as biomass briquette production.

Solid waste management hurdles 

Over the years, the city has expanded its waste management efforts from simple waste collection and disposal to more sustainable practices such as waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and the establishment of a sanitary landfill.

Despite these strides, a 2021 assessment has flagged several persistent issues affecting all stages of the SWM process — from source reduction to final disposal.

The updated 2017-2026 Solid Waste Management Plan of the City showed that one of the primary concerns is poor waste segregation at the household and barangay levels.

The city noted a lack of compliance among waste generators, often due to limited support and awareness.

Barangay-level enforcement of the “3Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) remains weak, with many communities lacking proper MRFs. In cases where MRFs exist, they are either non-functional or used only as temporary collection points due to space constraints.

On the operational side, irregular garbage set-out by residents and the inaccessibility of narrow streets to garbage trucks contribute to inefficient waste collection. There is also a lack of designated and properly maintained collection points, particularly in densely populated areas.

The city’s central MRFs are in need of urgent rehabilitation, expansion, and equipment upgrades to improve waste sorting and recycling capacity, according to the plan. Currently, these facilities are not equipped to handle the increasing waste volume efficiently.

The Calajunan landfill is also under pressure. Despite a 2022 target to dispose of only 35% of total waste generated—or 176 TPD—actual waste disposal reached 72%, or 367 TPD. The high volume of mixed waste continues to strain the landfill, which is approaching full capacity.

In the city’s 2021-2029 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, it was indicated that there is a need to expand the Calajunan Sanitary Landfill Complex and develop additional waste facilities—including storage, recycling, reprocessing, and treatment plants—primarily at the city’s western boundaries in Mandurriao District.

A safer alternative? 

While city officials frame the ISWMF as a cleaner alternative to incineration and open dumpsites, environmental watchdogs remain skeptical, warning of the facility’s potential risks to public health and the environment.

On April 1, the Green-Empowered Movement — a coalition of environmental organizations including Greenpeace Iloilo Volunteers, Green Forum Panay-Guimaras, ILIG Batiano — made public their opposition to the project in a press conference.

The coalition’s primary concern is the WTE plant and the RDF, which essentially repackages waste as fuel.

“Both processes emit harmful air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and toxic by-products like ash, which even advanced filtration technologies cannot fully contain. Ash disposal has already been a longstanding environmental issue for Iloilo communities, and the proposed WtE facility will only worsen the issue,” they said in a statement obtained by Daily Guardian.

If these facilities proceed, the coalition warns of severe environmental and health consequences, such as an increase in cases of respiratory tract infections — one of the leading causes of morbidity in 2022.

 

The coalition further warned that the proximity of ISWMF in the coal plant can heighten these risks, increasing the likelihood of respiratory illnesses, cancers, and other health complications.

According to a report from the UN Environment Programme, some WTE plants in Japan have faced challenges in reducing dioxin emissions despite having advanced emission control technologies.

These dioxins are highly toxic and can cause severe health issues, including cancer and reproductive problems.

In Europe, there have been debates about the environmental impact of RDF production and its use in WTE plants. Some argue that it can lead to pollution and undermine recycling efforts by destroying recoverable materials

A third-generation WTE plant in Turin has been operational for years. While modern emission controls have reduced pollutant levels, long-term studies revealed concerns about the cumulative health effects of low-level exposure to pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter.

‘False solutions’ 

Green-Empowered Movement argues that the ISWMF is a dangerous distraction to real solutions, citing that it “perpetuate harmful wasteful production and consumption patterns.”

They advocate for prevention-based approaches like sustainable product design, zero-waste systems, and support for waste workers.

“Real-world evidence of the failures of WtE incineration and RDF co-processing must not be ignored. Ilonggos do not deserve false solutions that are imposed on them,” said Brex Arevalo of GAIA Asia Pacific.

For Queenie Agdalipe, Coordinator of People Against False Solutions, the issue of waste management is a rather broad field, which might be motivating many, but it’s also an area that must be met with responsible management and science-based solutions because of its impacts.

Greenpeace Philippines’  Zero Waste Campaigner Marian Ledesma emphasized upstream solutions like plastic reduction and reuse systems.

“Instead of compromising the safety of citizens, the Iloilo City government and other LGUs must enact single-use plastic bans and mandate the adoption of reuse systems,” she added.

It is worth noting that the International Environmental Technology Centre of the UN Environment Programme, stresses that waste prevention and the 3Rs should be prioritized in waste management strategies.

 

Iloilo City has made efforts to address plastic waste. Regulation Ordinance 2013-403 limited the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags, and in 2020, Mayor Jerry Treñas signed an executive order banning unnecessary single-use plastics in public parks.

Despite these policies, plastic pollution remains a challenge—underscoring why groups are pushing for systemic reform over technological fixes.

Call for transparency, accountability 

The coalition also raised concerns about the project’s approval process.

They submitted a formal letter to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, demanding transparency in the Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and the full Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA).

Environmental groups argue that the city may have violated National Economic and Development Authority guidelines requiring disclosure of key project terms to stakeholders within seven days of entering negotiations.

Critics contended that the February 2025 public consultation came too late — after the JVA was signed. They also cited the city’s absence from a June 2024 public forum organized by civil society, despite confirming attendance.

“The city must inform Ilonggos how they decided on such hazardous technology, whether people have been told the risks […] The city should stop promoting false solutions and make decisions that protect people,” said Romela Gianan, Greenpeace Iloilo Volunteers Coordinator.

The proposal for the ISWMF began in August 2022 when the city received a PPP proposal from MPWIC.

By January 2023, an unsolicited proposal for a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA), with draft Terms of Reference and project agreements was submitted.

Negotiations between the city and MPW concluded successfully by June 27, 2023. The proposal then passed through the City Government’s PPP selection committee in October 2023 and was reviewed by the City Council Committee on Environment the following month.

In November 2023, the Iloilo City Council passed two resolutions: one authorizing Mayor Jerry Treñas to sign the JVA with MPW, and another approving the tender documents and allowing their release to potential challengers.

A Swiss challenge process took place, but no other bids were submitted.

A ceremonial contract exchange between the city and MPW was held on March 1, 2024.

The city and project proponents have since held several forums with residents of Brgy. Ingore and Brgy. Calahunan. The latest was in Sitio Bantud, Brgy. Ingore in February 2025.

Moving forward 

MetPower aims to complete construction within 20 months, targeting full operation by December 2026.

“This facility is not just about technology and infrastructure. It is about people creating jobs, improving public health, and ensuring a cleaner, greener Iloilo for generations to come,” said Madara.

“We are laying the foundation for a future of sustainable waste management.”

Madara said there is no definite plan for the existing landfill after the new facility is operational.

In order not to displace the workers in the existing landfill, Madara said there is a plan in place to absorb the workers from the existing landfill into the new facility.

City officials are also eyeing landfill rehabilitation of the Calahunan site. The digestate fertilizer produced from the ISWMF’s anaerobic process may be used to restore degraded land, potentially converting the site into green open spaces or other community-enhancing amenities.

On concerns about increased truck traffic and odors, the new facility will handle fresh waste, not the existing waste in the landfill. Garbage trucks will use the Iloilo Circumferential Road and avoid Barangay Ingore’s local roads.

Initially, the facility will cater only to Iloilo City’s waste. Expansion to neighboring municipalities is possible in the future if waste volumes justify it.

“The first few years, Iloilo will be the one supplying the waste, but the contract allows us to expand later on to accommodate other municipalities,” said Madara.

With the new facility, the city also anticipates significant savings in solid waste management, including the potential to reclaim land from the existing landfill.

The impending shutdown of the Calahunan landfill and the construction of the ISWMF mark both an end and a beginning for Iloilo City. Yet whether the transition will be inclusive, sustainable, and truly future-proof remains to be seen.

The true test of the ISWMF’s success will not be determined by the groundbreaking ceremony, but by the long-term impact and effectiveness of its operations behind closed doors in the years to come.