By Leonardo Micua
DAGUPAN CITY—With no more available dumpsite to accommodate additional wastes, Mayor Belen Fernandez has ordered the full implementation of total waste segregation in all 31 barangays of Dagupan City, directing barangay officials to lead information drives and ensure compliance.
Speaking at a Waste Segregation Conference at CSI Stadia on January 26, Fernandez reiterated the city’s strict policy: “No segregation, no collection.”The event was attended by barangay officials, Sangguniang Kabataan leaders, and designated waste segregators.
Under the new system, properly segregated waste from barangay material recovery facilities will be hauled directly to the sanitary landfill in Urdaneta City, bypassing the 60-year-old Bonuan dumpsite, which was closed last year. Waste segregation will begin at the household level.
The former dumpsite is now undergoing rehabilitation, with 1,500 of a planned 5,000 trees already planted. Fernandez said its closure prevented potential environmental disasters similar to the Cebu garbage slide that killed 28 people.
To improve waste hauling, the city acquired five additional dump trucks and hired new drivers, allowing up to five truckloads per truck daily. This replaces the previous administration’s outsourced waste disposal system— with the help of a contractors—which cost P54 million in just 40 days during the Lim administration.
Fernandez also announced plans to transform the former dumpsite into a recreational area, including a proposed surfing site—the first in Pangasinan—alongside the nearly completed One-Bonuan Pavilion and Tondaligan Skateboard Park.
The city has deployed color-coded mini-dump trucks to collect specific waste types like food wastes, metal, paper and cartons, plastic and old and discarded appliances and furniture, and plans to acquire additional equipment, including more mini-dump trucks, customized tricycles, and heavy machinery.
The conference was attended by Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Chester Casil and EMB Region 1 representatives. Fernandez said the event serves as a prelude to a larger Waste Summit scheduled next month, urging residents to actively support Dagupan’s environmental and eco-tourism initiatives.
At the end of the conference, the barangay captains submitted their respective plans to Waste Management Division chief Bernard Cabison on how they will implement total waste segregation in their respective areas.