By Gerry Lee Gorit
A CANDIDATE for councilor in the second district of Cagayan de Oro City is lobbying for the entry of a plant here which could convert the whole household wastes of the city into energy and solve the garbage problem.
Garbage emerged as a growing concern of Cagayan de Oro City after the Christmas holiday season began sprouting out in the streets.
Critics were quick to point out that the city’s garbage collector Tencil/Jomara was remiss collecting on schedule due to its lack of vehicles.
But the city local environment and natural resources office, which oversees the private company’s garbage collection system, pushed back and stated that it was irresponsible barangay residents who throw their unsegregated trash on predetermined points along the highways even on unscheduled days.
With all of these accusations back and forth, businessman Ritchell RC Cagang is proposing to allow interested investors to put up a waste to energy plant in Cagayan de Oro City.
With its daily production of waste estimated at 600 tons per day, Cagang said the city can easily fill the requirements of the proposed plant to produce 10 MW of electricity.
Cagang said that under this system, the bulk of city’s garbage mess would disappear and Jomara/Tencil could focus collecting on commercial, industrial and institutional wastes.
Waste to energy is a waste management process that converts non-recyclable waste into heat, electricity or fuel.
Cagang said he was inspired by the idea during a visit to China with Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter “Sr. Perdo” M. Unabia. Cagang is running under Unabia’s Paglaum rallying cry. (with report Mark Francisco)
