Council seeks garbage roadmap

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council is pressing Mayor Nestor Archival to present both short-term and long-term solid waste management plans to address the city’s worsening garbage problem.

A resolution sponsored by Councilor Harold Kendrick Go reflects growing frustration over uncollected garbage, foul odors, and the mounting public health risks posed by the city's waste disposal issues.

Go’s resolution, which the council approved, underscores the need for a transparent, equitable, and sustainable waste management system that complies with Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The council urged the mayor to present a short-term waste management plan covering July to December 2026 and a long-term strategy until 2036. The proposed roadmap should include the establishment of a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-approved sanitary landfill and other sustainable waste management facilities.

The council also seeks details on the methodology used in scheduling garbage collection, the deployment of personnel and equipment, and updates on the Solid Waste Management Task Force.

Councilor Joel Garganera had earlier urged the city to expand the task force to include representatives from the business sector, academe, civil society, the Office of the Building Official (OBO), environmental groups, and other stakeholders.

The resolution comes amid continuing problems in the city's garbage disposal operations after the tmporary transfer station at the South Road Properties (SRP) was shut down upon the order of the DENR.

The DENR cited violations of Republic Act No. 9003 and the potential threat to waterways and coastal habitats if continued operations are allowed.

In response, Archival directed barangays to stop transporting their garbage directly to the SRP.

Instead, waste is now collected through a cluster system in designated barangays, where it is transferred from barangay trucks to the city's private hauler. The arrangement, however, has drawn complaints from residents because of the foul odor during the transfer process.

Despite the ban on dumping at the SRP, nearly 20 barangays continue to bring their garbage to the area—not to the former transfer station that had turned into a dumpsite, but to the city's eco-station.

The city's dependence on the Aloguinsan landfill has also strained its finances.

With hauling and tipping fees now pegged at ?6,000 per ton, Cebu City's daily waste generation of about 600 to 700 tons translates to disposal costs exceeding ?1 billion annually, far higher than the ?517 million allocated for solid waste management in the city's 2026 budget.

The financial burden has prompted the city government to implement stricter waste segregation at source, expand composting of biodegradable waste, and promote recycling so that only residual waste will be transported to landfills.

Cebu City's waste management challenges date back to the closure of the Inayawan sanitary landfill in 2016, leaving the city without a permanent disposal facility.

The situation worsened after the collapse of the privately owned Binaliw landfill in January 2026 forcing the city to rely on the SRP as a temporary waste transfer station. (CEBU NEWS)