Malaysian firm tapped to build Pampanga landfill

FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga — One of Malaysia’s largest conglomerates is building and operating a P1.2-billion sanitary landfill on a 91-hectare private lot here.

Berjaya Corp. Bhd wrapped up its public scoping sessions on Tuesday for an environmental impact assessment, a prerequisite for securing an environmental compliance certificate that would allow the firm to pursue its 25-year project in Barangay Pabanlag here.

The project has acquired “resolutions of no objection” from the barangay and town councils, according to Michael Tapang, Berjaya local consultant.

Paulino Soo, Berjaya country representative in the Philippines, assured the community that the conglomerate would apply the technologies used in the Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill for storing solid wastes, collecting and treating leachate and producing electricity from methane gas in the last 13 years.

“We are going to do this properly and well. The Pabanlag sanitary landfill will serve as our showcase for similar projects in key provinces in the Philippines,” Soo said. —Tonette Orejas