Groups oppose Davao incinerator project

DAVAO CITY – Various environmental and farmers’ groups have opposed the pending construction of a waste-to-energy (WtE) incinerator here, saying the Japanese-funded facility will only impact people’s health and Davao’s rich biodiversity, particularly its already fragile watersheds. 

The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Asia Pacific together with Ecowaste Coalition and the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) - Davao and the  Ecoteneo, Masipag Mindanao, Panalipdan Youth-Davao, and Saligan-Mindanaw stood together to oppose the project.

The City Council approved the project in August last year despite a national ban on incineration as provided for by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Air Act.

The project is to be constructed on ten hectares in the village of Biao Escuela in Tugbok District near a school, agricultural lands, and a few hundred meters away from the relocation site of the affected communities.

According to Gary Villocino of the group called Masipag, a network of farmers in Davao, the construction of this facility will not only be dangerous to people’s health but will also destroy valuable agricultural land. Land that could be used to cultivate resources for the community.”

This was also echoed by Mark Peñalver, of IDIS-Davao, saying: “When it comes to WtE incineration, the bottom line is this: not only is it a dangerous way to produce energy, it’s also incredibly harmful to the environment.  What’s more, incineration is not a renewable or sustainable energy source. In fact, it actually produces more greenhouse gasses than coal. So not only is incineration a bad choice for the environment, but it’s also not a wise choice from a climate perspective.”  

Randy Catubag Irog, of the Mintal Resource Collectors Association, also opposed the project. Despite fearing repercussions for disagreeing with the project, he said there are more sustainable approaches that are helpful to the community and the environment. “We collect recyclables and sell them for profit and WtE will only teach future generations to be lazy as it undermines recycling efforts if waste can be simply burned away,” he said.  

Communities cited that the City’s waste composition is 50%t organic waste which cannot be burned in the proposed type of WtE technology. Advocates point out that the WtE project is also not a financially viable project for JICA, the city government and the private sector. 

Peter Damary of the start-up enterprise, Limadol, said Davao needs to focus on segregation at source.  “Davao’s case, around 50 percent of waste is composed of food waste. If removed from the waste stream through composting, it eases the burden on landfills and leaves other waste available for recycling. Further, the environmental value composting contributes to methane reduction cannot be ignored,” he said.

Citing the efforts of other villages in the country, GAIA Asia Pacific’s Zero Waste Coordinator in the Philippines, Archie Abellar, said individuals and communities in Davao are similarly gradually adapting Zero Waste strategies to combat waste. From composting to opting for refills instead of single-use plastics or sachets, there is a conscious effort from the grassroots to veer away from practices that harm the planet.

 “WtE incineration is a band-aid solution and will only make matters worse in the long run. JICA has not examined existing options on waste management in the City and have promoted an expensive and harmful technology. We call on JICA and the local government to support zero waste systems as they offer an inclusive, effective and sustainable approach to the City’s waste problem,” he said.

There was no immediate reaction from the local government or law makers on the issues raised by the groups on the proposed project. (Mindanao Examiner)