The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) headed by Governor Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David, together with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Bauang, headed by Municipal Mayor Eulogio Clarence Martin P. De Guzman III, conducted an inauguration for the Sanitary Landfill Cell 2 of Bauang at Barangay Acao last September 27, 2024.

The PGLU, through the Provinicial Government Environment and Natural Resources (PG-ENRO), generously provided an amount of PHP11,000,000 for the Sanitary Landfill Cell 2. One would recall the courtesy call made by the PG-ENRO to LGU Bauang last September 5, 2024 to discuss the said inauguration.

“A landfill cell is a compartment within a landfill site designed to isolate waste from the environment. It is the smallest unit in the landfill’s design that can be considered fully functional on its own, complete with bottom liners, leachate collection systems, and cover systems. The purpose of a landfill cell is to contain and manage waste materials, preventing the release of pollutants into the air, soil, and water.” (Western Environmental Liner)

At the end of each day’s operation, a 15 to 30cm layer of cover soil shall be placed. This
completed filled area for one day including the cover soil is called a cell. However, in the case of
large landfill sites with the amount of solid wastes more than 200 tons per day, two or more cells
shall be constructed each day.

The site blessing was led by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel B. Bahiwag.

Present in the inauguration were:

  • Gov. Rafy Ortega-David,
  • Hon. Cynthia Angelica M. Bacurnay, Hon. Henry B. Balbin, and Hon. Victor I. Rivera, Board Members for the Second District of La Union;
  • Hon. Felix P. Sanchez, LGU Bauang Sangguniang Bayan Member (SBM) and Committee Chairperson for Environment;
  • LGU Bauang Administrator for Operations Mr. Wilson Samuel C. Caluza,
  • Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Bauang Department Head Mr. Marc Alvin T. Garcia, and
  • other officials and employees from the PGLU and LGU Bauang.

This is a nod to the solid waste management of Bauang. Solid waste management is a vital part in making Bauang a Smart, Green City by 2030, one of the titles envisioned by Mayor Martin De Guzman in his last State of the Municipality Address (SOMA) 2024.