BACOLOD CITY: The Negros Occidental provincial government is establishing a common sanitary landfill worth PHP30 million for nine local government units (LGUs) in La Castellana town. This is among the initiatives pursued by the province through the Provincial Environment Management Office, as its 10-year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan got the approval of the National SWM Commission. As of Wednesday, the selected clustered LGU beneficiaries are Pulupandan, Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Hinigaran, Binalbagan, Moises Padilla, and Isabela, aside from the host-municipality of La Castellana, which do not have waste disposal facility. 'The construction is expected to be completed by November 2024," Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said in a statement. Among the 19 municipalities in Negros Occidental, Murcia, just east of Bacolod City, is the first and only one that has established its sanitary landfill, which opened in June this year with assistance from the provincial government. It is the 12th LGU in th e province that has a solid waste management facility; the 11 others are all cities. A sanitary landfill is the primary long-term method of solid waste disposal allowed under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. It is a "waste disposal site designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environment impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility." Source: Philippines News agency