This highly urbanized city is urging residents to practice waste segregation at source even as it showcases best practices in sanitary landfill operations.

As of Wednesday, construction of the landfill’s Cell No. 5 in Barangay Felisa is underway.

Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office head Allyn Luv Dignadice said the city government is implementing various initiatives to minimize residual waste while focusing on extending the sanitary landfill’s lifespan.

“We urge residents to strictly practice waste segregation at source to further support the city’s goal of extending the landfill’s operational life,” Dignadice said in a statement.

Cell No. 4, which was established in 2010, is now at its operational peak after extensive engineering interventions prolonged its lifespan beyond February 2026 to remain operational until the completion of Cell No. 5 by the middle of the year.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) considers Bacolod City’s sanitary landfill a model facility in the country.

“The city’s sanitary landfill is considered a model in the Negros Island Region (NIR) and nationwide due to its best practices,” EMB-NIR Director Vicente Losbañes said in a separate statement.

He cited the soil covering, slope stabilization, benching, leachate treatment, recirculation processes, regular monitoring and seasonal gas emission testing being strictly implemented by the city government.

The only landfill facility in the region operating under a public-private partnership scheme, it is equipped with complete operational components and a capacity of 900 metric tons of solid waste per day.

For 2026, the city government contracted the Luzon-based consortium of International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc., D.C. Sandil Construction and Realty Development Inc. and San Igmedio Builders Inc. to implement its almost PHP437-million solid waste management program, covering the period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31.

The service contracts include PHP327.9 million for garbage collection, hauling and disposal and PHP109 million for environmental and sanitary services, including the operation and maintenance of the sanitary landfill. (PNA)