Bacolod city: This highly urbanized city has committed to rectify its violations in the operation of its sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa after receiving a notice of violation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau-Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR).
According to Philippines News Agency, EMB-NIR OIC Director Vicente Losba±es signed the notice of violation dated Aug. 10, 2026, issued against the city government. The notice cited alleged violations of Republic Act 9275, or the Philippine Clean Water Act, concerning water discharged from the landfill, and Presidential Decree 1586, or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System, for the operation of Cells No. 4 and 5 without an environmental compliance certificate (ECC). The EMB-NIR gave the city government 15 days to submit its position paper.
On Thursday afternoon, City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo represented the city government in the public hearing called by the EMB-NIR as part of the requirements for the city's application for an ECC. He assured the agency that the city government continues to implement measures to ensure compliance with environmental laws and requirements.
The Bacolod City sanitary landfill, the only solid waste management facility in the region operating under a public-private partnership scheme, is equipped with complete operational components and a capacity of 900 metric tons of solid waste per day. Cell No. 4 was constructed under the previous administration in May 2024 by private contractor International Property Management (IPM), with the obligation to secure the necessary licenses and permits, including land classification conversion.
Mayo stated that these were complied with only after Mayor Greg Gasataya took office last year, as part of the requirements for the ECC application for Cell No. 4. "This step will subsequently allow the city to fulfill the requirements for Cell No. 5's ECC," he added.
The city government, through a new private contractor, the Luzon-based International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists Inc. (ISWIMS), recently started the operation of Cell No. 5 after Cell No. 4 had reached full capacity. The EMB-NIR issued the notice of violation despite having earlier considered the Bacolod City sanitary landfill a model facility in the country.
Director Losba±es highlighted the city's landfill as a model due to its best practices, including soil covering, slope stabilization, benching, leachate treatment, and regular monitoring.
