Baguio eyes ₱65-M dump truck purchase as city grapples with mounting garbage

BAGUIO CITY — The city government is proposing ₱65 million for additional dump trucks in 2027 to improve waste collection amid Baguio’s mounting garbage management challenges, according to the report of Baguio City Public Information Office on October 19, 2026.

The proposed purchase is among the major projects in the city’s 2027 Local Expenditure Program (LEP), submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod on September 25.

Baguio generates about 550 tons of mixed waste daily, based on figures reported by the City General Services Office in September 2025, placing pressure on collection and disposal operations, particularly during peak tourist seasons.

The city also faces higher hauling costs after shifting residual waste disposal from Urdaneta, Pangasinan, to Porac, Pampanga, in June 2025. Hauling expenses reportedly rose to ₱1,600 per ton, although the tipping fee dropped to ₱550 from ₱650 per ton.

The budget announcement did not specify how many trucks would be purchased or their type and capacity.

The acquisition forms part of Baguio’s broader waste management efforts, which include waste segregation, recycling and materials recovery facilities. The city’s 2025–2034 solid waste management plan also seeks to reduce the volume of garbage sent to landfills.

Other proposed 2027 projects include ₱150 million for the rehabilitation of the Baguio Sewerage Treatment Plant and ₱67.98 million to strengthen mobile laboratory services at the Aurora Hill and Irisan district health centers.

City Budget Office head Leticia Clemente said the proposed programs were formulated based on the mandates of city departments under Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991.

The proposed budget remains subject to review and approval by the city council. Once the appropriation ordinance is enacted, it will be forwarded to the city mayor and then submitted to the Department of Budget and Management-Cordillera Administrative Region for review.

Clemente expressed hope that the budget would be approved before the end of 2026, allowing implementation to begin in January 2027.