Bacolod city: This highly urbanized city is embarking on a six-month waste analysis and characterization study (WACS) as part of the broader efforts to strengthen its long-term waste management program. Partnering with leading professional services firm SyCip Gorres Velayo and Company (SGV and Co.), the city government has allocated PHP3.75 million for the conduct of the study aimed at updating Bacolod's 10-year solid waste management plan.

According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary to the Mayor Marty Go stated that the study is expected to run for 180 days or six months, following the formal agreement signing between Mayor Greg Gasataya and SGV Climate Change and Sustainability Services partner Katrina Francisco last week. SGV will provide technical expertise to ensure that the updated solid waste management plan is based on accurate data and tailored specifically to the city's needs.

Based on the agreement, the study will gather critical information on the types and volume of waste produced daily in the city, project future waste generation trends, and recommend ways to improve waste collection, recycling, composting, and disposal systems. Gasataya emphasized that the project aims to deepen understanding of the city's waste situation, including composition, volume, and projected growth, to develop smarter and more sustainable solutions.

Gasataya noted, "This study will help us clearly understand how much waste Bacolod produces and what steps we need to take to improve our waste management systems and policies." Francisco added that the project is a crucial step toward transforming how Bacolod manages its waste, highlighting that it will help create solutions that are both environmentally sound and economically sustainable.

Data from the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office indicate that the city generates a daily waste collection of 1,700 to 2,500 cubic meters, all being disposed of at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa.