10/08/2026
Understanding the Buri Road Property & Waste Disposal Issue: A Fact-Based Overview
To ensure public transparency and environmental compliance, the City Government of Bacolod—led by the City Legal Office (CLO) and the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO)—is addressing an administrative matter regarding the property being developed along Buri Road in Barangay Mandalagan.
Here are the key background facts, regulatory context, and public considerations surrounding the case:
1. The Historical Background
• Legacy City Dumpsite: The site along Buri Road, Barangay Mandalagan, was historically utilized as an open municipal dumpsite before the city established modern waste management systems. Over decades, substantial volumes of municipal solid waste accumulated on the private property.
• Private Acquisition & Development: The property, currently acquired for development by Puer Sanctus Property Management, Inc. (PSPMI), requires full site clearing and excavation before construction can proceed.
2. The Legal & Regulatory Incident
• Initial Request to the City: PSPMI initially requested authority to haul and dispose of the excavated materials from the former dumpsite directly to the Bacolod Sanitary Landfill Facility in Barangay Felisa.
• Stoppage Order & Off-Site Dumping: Before final arrangements were concluded, BENRO discovered that excavated materials from the site were being transported and dumped at alternative, unpermitted locations—specifically low-lying parcels within the old airport area in Barangay Singcang-Airport.
• Regulatory Intervention: Because moving legacy solid waste to unapproved receiving sites without local environmental permits violates Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), BENRO issued a Stoppage Order to halt further excavation and transport.
3. The Core Administrative Questions
Under Philippine environmental laws, excavating buried solid waste involves strict public safety and environmental oversight. The issue centers on several regulatory questions:
1. Waste Characterization: Determining whether the excavated material consists of inert soil, decomposed organic matter, or non-biodegradable waste requiring specific treatment.
2. Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) Terms: Reviewing the specific conditions set by the Environmental Management Bureau–Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR) regarding how waste from the site must be handled, transported, and disposed of.
3. Legality of Filling Sites: Clarifying whether private landowners (such as those at the old airport) can legally accept excavated legacy waste as fill material without prior EMB site clearances and BENRO permits.
4. Steps Taken by the City Government
• Convening a Technical Conference: City Legal Officer Atty. Karol Joseph P. Chiu issued an official request inviting EMB-NIR OIC Regional Director Vicente S. Losbañes and technical officers to a formal technical conference on August 12, 2026.
• Inter-Agency Coordination: The conference brings together EMB-NIR, BENRO, the City Legal Office, the City Planning and Development Office, the Office of the Building Official, and project developers.
• Objective: The goal of the city administration is to establish a written, lawful, and implementable action plan that ensures proper site remediation, protects surrounding communities, and establishes clear protocols for final disposal in full compliance with environmental laws.
Key Takeaways for Bacolodnons
• Public Health & Environmental Protection First: The intervention by BENRO and the City Legal Office aims to ensure that land clearing activities do not transfer unmonitored waste into other neighborhoods or waterways.
• A Constructive Resolution: The city administration is seeking a solution-oriented agreement so that private development can proceed lawfully while safeguarding public health, local roads, and environmental integrity.
