By Ahikam Pasion
A total of 73 dump trucks of garbage were removed from the Municipal Transfer Facility in Barangay Banaoang following a sustained cleanup operation by the municipality’s new waste management contractor.
The hauling was carried out by Green Rescue Environmental Solutions and Services Inc. after the local government implemented a revised waste collection system earlier this month. The large-scale operation began on January 24 and concluded on Wednesday, resulting in the full clearing of accumulated waste at the facility.
Mayor Bona Fe de Vera-Parayno said the cleanup followed the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the new contractor on January 12, marking a shift in the municipality’s approach to solid waste management.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) Pedrito N. Rivera explained that waste buildup at the site was attributed to deficiencies under the previous contractor, including the absence of adequate industrial-grade waste containers. This led to scattered garbage and odor complaints from nearby areas.
Rivera said the newly installed containers are designed to be sealed, preventing the release of odor and leachate prior to hauling. The waste is collected using front-load garbage trucks and transported off-site.
With the transfer facility now cleared, the local government said garbage collection in Mangaldan will be conducted daily, with waste directly hauled to a sanitary landfill in Porac, Pampanga.
Officials said the new system is intended to prevent a recurrence of waste accumulation at the facility.