To solve City’s garbage woes: Eco Station launched

CEBU, Philippines — Taking a stride toward addressing the city’s current garbage woes, the Cebu City Government formally launched an Eco Station, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF), at a repurposed area of the supposed South Road Properties (SRP) Bagsakan.

The launching was led by Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival as a countermeasure to the city's ongoing garbage crisis. The facility includes Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming, a desalination plant, plastic and paper shredders, a fertilizer facility, and a composting area.

Taking this into account, Archival said Cebu City produces an estimated 1,200 tons of garbage per day. Of this amount, only 700 tons are collected daily, leaving the remaining waste uncollected.

Before the tragic trash slide at the Binaliw Landfill, the government spent about P2.1 million daily for the disposal of 700 tons of garbage. After the incident, the city’s waste was diverted to the Aloguinsan landfill, which costs significantly more at roughly P4.1 million to P4.2 million per day, amounting to about P1.2 billion to P1.4 billion annually.

“I say [to] all of my friends, sa council nga this is not sustainable because we are spending about 1.2 billion to 1.4 billion per year para pag labay, pag bayad sa atung garbage padulong sa landfill,” Archival said.

Archival then highlighted that it is because of this situation that the city should divert its garbage and utilize it as a resource.

City saves costs

For 2026, the city allocated a total of P550 million for garbage collection in its annual budget. Archival, however, explained that after the avalanche at the Binaliw Landfill rendered the facility inoperable, he requested an additional P500 million from the City Council. This came as the city began rerouting its waste to the Aloguinsan Landfill, resulting in higher costs.

The mayor said that around P6,000 per ton is paid for hauling waste to the Aloguinsan landfill, which is higher than the previous rate of around P3,000 per ton.

The council then approved only P400 million of the request.

According to the mayor, the Eco Station facility can process a minimum of 20 tons of garbage per day, which can save the city more or less P120,000 daily.

He said the cost is higher because of transportation expenses, tipping fees, and equipment use.

Archival further said that the 15 to 20 tons processed at the facility each day will help reduce the 700 tons of waste being sent to the landfill.

BSF farming

Among the measures introduced at the newly launched MRF is the implementation of BSF farming, an innovation presented by Victor R. Carlos, a consultant from Luzon whom the mayor personally consulted.

Carlos said the innovation has been producing successful results. According to him, each female black soldier fly lays about 200 to as many as 1,000 larvae. These insects also consume biodegradable waste from markets.

“One kilogram of larvae can eat around 2-4 kilograms of food waste per day,” Carlos said.

The black soldier fly, a species different from the common housefly or “langaw,” produces eggs that hatch into larvae and eventually develop into maggots. These maggots are then used as feed for chickens, pigs, fish, and other livestock animals.

“Sa ngayon, nasa 100 kg per day pa lang ulit kasi bago ang cycle na ito, puro itlog at bagong pisa pa. Pero sa susunod na isa hanggang dalawang linggo, aabot na sa minimum na isang tonelada (1 ton) ang makokonsumo nito kada araw,” Carlos said.

It can be recalled that two sites, including the Bagsakan Center and the Pond A area, are being used to temporarily store thousands of tons of waste, raising concerns among councilors, residents, and other stakeholders.

Cleanup drive

Meanwhile, Budlaan Falls, part of the Butuanon River Watershed, was selected by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) and volunteers as the site of a cleanup drive in celebration of World Environment Day.

The group embarked on a 5.8-kilometer hike while collecting solid waste such as water bottles, wrappers, glass, and textile waste. Along the trail, CCENRO personnel also installed signs promoting the “Leave No Trace” principle to minimize human impact on the environment.

“Actually kini kay na catch among attention aning trail kay naa man gyuy complain regarding waste water,” said Engineer Myka Marie A. Llanos of CCENRO.

Budlaan, as part of Cebu City’s watershed, plays an important role in the “Beyond Borders” partnership with Mandaue City. According to Llanos, water and waste eventually flow toward Mandaue. The city has sought assistance because it does not have control over the upland areas.

“So ni hangyo gyud si Mandaue nga as much as possible kung onsay puede nato ma mitigate sa atoang area sa Cebu City atong buhaton kay sila man mag duwat,” Llanos said.

The Beyond Borders initiative is a Collaborative River Governance Forum effort aimed at addressing flooding. This includes the signing of a commitment to actively support the rehabilitation of the Butuanon and Mahiga Rivers, whose boundaries lie within both Mandaue and Cebu City. — Meriane Katherine Espina and Michaela Tabar, CNU interns (FREEMAN)