City sacrifices education for garbage: Waste drains school funds

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival admitted for the first time that funds intended for school improvements and learning tools are being eaten up by the rising cost of waste disposal, which the city has struggled to address since the Binaliw landfill tragedy in January.

Archival made the admission as he pushed forward with his “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” school-based waste diversion program, expanding it to Camp Lapu-Lapu, City Central, and Pasil Elementary Schools.

During his visits to participating schools, Archival lamented that Cebu City’s garbage budget has doubled since January.

“Sa una, ang atong gasto sa basura P500 million lang kada tuig. Apan pagkahuman sa trash slide sa Binaliw, ni doble kini ug niabot na sa P1 billion,” Archival said.

The mayor said the additional funds could have been used to improve schools and provide more resources for students.

“Dako kaayo nga kantidad nga unta magamit nato sa eskwelahan ug sa mga kabataan,” he told students, stressing that the city must divert waste to its eco-station instead of continuing costly landfill disposal.

Archival recalled the 36 lives lost in the Binaliw trash slide, warning students that Cebu cannot risk another disaster.

“Nakahinumdom mo trash slide sa Binaliw… daghan kaayo nangamatay… dili nato ganahan to mabalik,” he said.

Following the Binaliw disaster, the city government has been hauling its garbage to Aloguinsan through private contractor Pinoy Basurero.

Archival said Cebu City now spends P4.2 million daily on garbage management, with costs ballooning after the disaster forced the city to transport its waste to a disposal facility farther from the city.

During his visit to City Central School, Archival emphasized discipline and the moral responsibility of keeping the environment clean.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness,” Archival reminded the students, adding that “Kaning usa ka bilyon (used for garbage disposal), ato unta ning nagamit sa paghatag ug nindot nga classroom ug computer. Pero wala nato nahimo kay ato man gihatag sa landfill.”

At Camp Lapu-Lapu, students collected 224.5 kilos of plastic bottles filled with shredded garbage, equivalent to P560 in incentives. At Pasil, students gathered 237.9 kilos, earning P619. No collection figures were disclosed for City Central.

The program provides an incentive of P0.50 per kilo of segregated waste, with Archival promising to increase the amount next year as more projects come online.

“Ang garbage mahimong kwarta,” he told students, explaining that biodegradable waste can be turned into fertilizer while plastics can be processed for use in asphalt for roads.

But beyond the cash incentives, Archival said the program’s deeper goal is to instill responsibility and proper environmental habits among Cebu’s youth.

“Kung ang kabataan makat-on sa hustong pagdumala sa basura, madala nila kini sa ilang pamilya ug komunidad. Mao kini ang tumong sa programa,” he added.

The “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” program was first launched in July 2026 at Talamban Elementary School, where pupils were encouraged to bring segregated waste from their homes, packed in bottles, for collection at the school.

The pilot run showed promise, with students actively participating and barangay officials supporting the initiative.

Since then, other schools, including Guadalupe Elementary and Mabolo Elementary, have adopted the system, integrating weekly waste collection into their routines.

Together with Councilor Nice Archival, school principals, teachers, and environmental officers, the mayor is pushing for a citywide culture of waste diversion.

“Kung magtinabangay ta, dili lang nato maluwas ang siyudad sa baha ug disgrasya, makaluwas pa ta ug bilyon nga pesos nga magamit para sa edukasyon,” Archival said.

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) said operations at the eco-station at the South Road Properties (SRP) are being expanded to increase processing capacity to as much as 40 tons of waste per day.

The facility is being scaled up with additional composting machines and sorting equipment, as well as plans for a Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) system to handle plastics and mixed waste.

CCENRO said the expansion is expected to strengthen Cebu City’s solid waste management program by improving segregation, composting, and resource recovery while reducing the volume of garbage sent to disposal facilities. — /FPL (FREEMAN)