CLARK FREEPORT — The Clark Development Corporation (CDC) has reiterated its position not to renew the service contract with Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation (MCWMC) for the operation of the Kalangitan landfill, saying the agreement officially expired last Saturday, Oct. 5.

This despite the seeming inadequacy of a materials recovery facility (MRF) in Porac town, which has been identified as an alternative waste service provider to replace the MCWMC.

The CDC said in a statement that the decision for non-renewal was based on a legal opinion from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) that said a contract extension would violate the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law, which governs the bidding and awarding of contracts for this project.

CDC is a subsidiary of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the OGCC stands as its statutory counsel.

The CDC statement recalled that BCDA President and CEO Joshua Bingcang, in a letter last April 30, had expressed the agency’s interest in developing and increasing the economic value of the 100-hectare land area in New Clark City, which is currently covered by a service contract with MCWMC.

“At the expiration of the Contract for Service, MCWMC should promptly vacate and deliver the property, inclusive of all new constructions and improvements introduced during the term of the contract, to the Clark Development Corporation,” the BCDA chief wrote.

The CDC said it received last Friday, Oct. 4, at 7:25 p.m., a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Branch 66 of the Regional Trial Court of Capas, Tarlac upon prayer by MCWMC to halt the takeover of its Kalangitan landfill facilities.

“CDC adheres to the rule of law and will fully comply with the TRO. We respect the sub-judice rule and will refrain from commenting on ongoing court proceedings and public statements made by MCWMC in relation to the cases,” the CDC said in its statement.

It added that it has accredited Prime Waste Solutions Pampanga Inc. to be the waste service provider in Clark to ensure continuity of services after October 5.

Late last month, the local government of the City of San Fernando, which uses the Kalangitan facility, expressed fears that the Porac MRF may just become an open dumpsite similar to that in Cebu City where waste recovery services are also handled by Prime Waste Solutions.

Maria Theresa Doble, OIC of the San Fernando City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO), said the Porac waste facility cannot cope with the volume of wastes coming from various areas in Central Luzon.

“They are only a mechanized material recovery facility, not an engineered sanitary landfill (and) they have only residual containment area (RCA) for residual wastes,” Doble said, referring to the Porac MRF.

Doble pointed out that San Fernando, which has 35 barangays, the average residual wastes total from 120 to 125 metric tons a day.

Noting news reports that the Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City, which is reportedly being operated by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PWS), the same company managing the landfill in Porac, Pampanga has been emitting foul odor and causing the buildup of contaminated stagnant water during heavy rains, Doble said the Porac facility could suffer the same fate.

More than 150 local government units all over Central Luzon, and parts of Pangasinan and Benguet were using the Kalangitan facility and are said to be opposing the closure of the engineered landfill in Capas, Tarlac. 