Iloilo City has begun constructing the country’s first large-scale Integrated Solid Waste Management Facility (ISWMF) in Barangay Ingore, La Paz. This three-hectare waste-to-energy project marks a major step in the city’s push for modern, sustainable waste management.
The ₱2.3-billion waste-to-energy facility is being developed through a public-private partnership with MetPower Venture Partners Holdings Inc., Metro Pacific Water Investments Corp., and Metro Pacific Iloilo Water.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, who praised the project as a model of Iloilo City’s dedication to sustainability.
“By addressing waste management, energy security, and even water supply, it is truly an integrated solution for the city’s future,” she stated.
The facility is a key step in Iloilo City’s plan to shut down the nearly full Calajunan Sanitary Landfill in Mandurriao by 2026. MetPower President and CEO Jose Maria Niño Jesus P. Madara noted, “This project comes just in time before the landfill reaches its limit.”
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Modernizing waste management
Based on DENR data, Iloilo City produces approximately 500 metric tons of waste daily, totaling about 182,500 tons each year.
“As the city grows, its metabolism also grows and we need the change that technological and social innovation can bring,” Loyzaga highlighted.
The ISWMF is designed to handle up to 475 metric tons of municipal solid waste daily, including 115 tons of septage from Metro Pacific Iloilo Water. It will feature a Materials Recovery Facility to boost recycling efforts and an anaerobic digestion biogas plant that converts organic waste into about 3.5 megawatts of renewable energy.
Unlike incineration, the anaerobic digestion process ensures minimal pollution.
The energy produced by the biogas plant will power the nearby ₱5.5-billion desalination plant, which can generate 65 million liters of clean water daily. This will help alleviate Iloilo City’s ongoing water supply challenges while enhancing overall water security.
Additionally, the facility will convert non-organic waste into 163 tons of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) daily, providing a cleaner alternative to coal. This RDF is expected to replace 5% of the coal consumption by Panay Energy Development Corp. for power generation.
Jose Maria Niño Jesus Madara, president of MetPower Venture, considered the ISWMF a milestone, emphasizing its role in shaping a sustainable waste management future for the country.
“This facility is about more than just managing waste,” he shared. “It’s about creating jobs, improving public health, and ensuring a cleaner, greener Iloilo for generations to come.”
Madara also mentioned that while the facility will initially handle only Iloilo City’s waste, the joint venture agreement allows for future expansion to include waste from neighboring towns if demand grows.
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Targeting completion
Atty. David Abraham Garcia, head of Iloilo City’s PPP Office, assured that the city plans to integrate current Calajunan landfill workers into the new facility to maintain employment.
Meanwhile, Madara noted that Iloilo City, holding a 3.5% equity stake in the project, will benefit from dividends tied to the facility’s performance.
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The ISWMF is set to be finished by the fourth quarter of 2026. Construction is expected to take 18 to 20 months.
“The facility is designed to meet all DENR environmental standards, and since it is fully enclosed, it won’t emit any odors like conventional disposal sites,” Garcia explained.
Sources:
https://dailyguardian.com.ph/first-in-ph-p2-3-b-waste-to-energy-facility-to-rise-in-iloilo-city/