Taguig Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga’s administration has drawn up a 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan to advance their advocacy on the environment and realize the vision to become the country’s cleanest city in 10 years.

Tiñga said the program seeks to upgrade the city’s solid waste management system by transferring to the containerized and mechanized collection of garbage.

The distribution of various mobile garbage bins and the technology transfer is part of a 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan duly approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod with the passage of City Ordinance No. 28, Series of 2006.

"This endeavor is in compliance with RA 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act as we strive to make Taguig the Philippines’ cleanest city in ten years ," Tiñga said.

The first phase of the program started last year with the deployment of uniformed members of the Taguig Environmental Police, tasked to implement environmental laws and local ordinances in relation to proper waste disposal.

The city government is now implementing the second phase of the program with the upgrading of the garbage hauling services veering away from the use of ordinary dump trucks to the provision of compactor trucks that have lifters for garbage bins.

More than 14,000 segregation bins, to be supplied under very strict technical specifications, will be distributed and placed at strategic points around the 18 barangays of Taguig so that garbage can be collected separately.

The fourth phase of the program calls for a no-nonsense public implementation and vast information campaign.

Ronald Cruz, head of Taguig’s Solid Waste Management Office, said the city government aims to implement the fifth phase of the program in the next few years with the construction of a permanent Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

This will serve as a segregation area between recyclables and non-recyclable wastes which will open up a livelihood program for the underprivileged. After passing through the MRF, only residuals or biodegradable waste will be hauled to dumpsites.

The modernized solid waste management program Taguig has embarked on is a first in Metro Manila. The containerized and mechanized collection of garbage is only being implemented in Talisay City in Cebu, Puerto Princesa City and Davao City.

The city government is set to draw a P112-M loan made with Land Bank for the full implementation of the program.

Last month, Mayor Tiñga’s "cleanest city" campaign got a big boost with the inauguration of Asia’s largest septage treatment facility in FTI Complex, Brgy. Western Bicutan, Taguig.

The P330-M South Septage Treatment Plant was constructed by Manila Water to improve public health, provide sanitation services and further guarantee protection of the environment in Taguig.