Mayor to appeal before village chiefs on strict segregation policy

CEBU, Philippines — In the continuing pursuit of solving the city’s garbage woes, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is set to stand before the barangay captains to personally appeal for the strict enforcement of the “No Segregation, No Collection” policy.

Archival said he intends to make a strong case before the barangay captains, who are currently attending the Liga ng mga Barangay National Congress in Manila, adding that these local leaders take a crucial role in ensuring discipline at the household level.

The annual gathering, organized under the Department of the Interior and Local Government, brings together barangay officials nationwide to discuss pressing governance issues. Archival is set to join them today.

For Cebu City, the timing is critical as the city faces mounting pressure to comply with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ cease-and-desist order against the South Road Properties transfer station.

“We need to understand that this is something we must do. Barangay captains are very vital in solving the problems of the city, especially on garbage,” Archival said, adding that he will personally ensure they grasp the urgency of enforcing segregation rules.

The mayor admitted to having missed an earlier one-month target to clear the SRP but said they have already cleared about 90 percent of the garbage there.

Archival also revealed that discussions are ongoing with the Department of Public Services and the Solid Waste Management Board about establishing a new transfer station that would follow a “no-touch ground” system, using ramps or elevated platforms to avoid direct dumping on the soil.

Complaints from residents in Carcar and Aloguinsan about foul odors and overspeeding garbage trucks have reached City Hall.

Archival said contractors have been contacted to sanitize operations and warned them against violations.

He also met with SRP locators who raised concerns about foul odors, assuring them that compliance measures are underway.

Cebu City’s waste management crisis has deep roots, beginning with the closure of the Inayawan landfill in 2018 and compounded by the collapse of the Binaliw landfill in January 2026, which killed 36 workers.

Since then, the city has relied on costly hauling contracts and a temporary transfer station that turned into a dumpsite.

The “No Segregation, No Collection” policy, legislated under City Ordinance 2031, has long been on the books but has been inconsistently enforced.

Archival’s appeal in Manila accordingly stresses his belief that barangay captains are the backbone of reform and that their cooperation is essential to break the cycle of landfill dependence and spiraling costs. — (FREEMAN)