Council backs mayor’s plan

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has reinforced Mayor Nestor Archival Sr.’s declaration of a solid waste management emergency by approving a resolution mandating stricter waste segregation, composting, recycling and controlled disposal of residual waste.

Authored by Councilor Harry Eran, the resolution was approved months after the deadly collapse of the Binaliw landfill and complements Executive Order (EO) No. 73 issued by the mayor earlier this month. Both measures aim to rebuild Cebu City’s waste management system through full compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Under EO No. 73, households, schools, businesses and institutions are required to segregate waste at source, compost biodegradable materials and channel recyclables to accredited junk shops or Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs).

The city government is targeting a system in which only residual waste—estimated at about 15 percent of the total garbage stream—will be collected for landfill disposal.

The executive order also identified 10 pilot barangays for implementation: Apas, Lahug, Guadalupe, Mabolo, Basak San Nicolas, Pardo, Talamban, Tisa, Inayawan and Banilad. A task force was likewise created to enforce compliance, accredit recyclers and establish composting systems.

Archival earlier described the declaration as a proactive response rather than a crisis, stressing the city’s capacity to address the problem without causing public alarm.

Eran’s resolution gives legislative backing to these initiatives by directing the Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), and the Department of Public Services to prioritize waste segregation and diversion programs.

The measure emphasizes that most waste should be processed within households and communities through composting and recycling, leaving only a small fraction for final disposal.

Pet Recovery Ordinance

In addition to the resolution, Eran is pushing the proposed PET Bottle Recovery and Separate Collection Ordinance.

The measure would prohibit the disposal of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with residual waste, require households and establishments to maintain separate receptacles for PET containers, and direct barangays to collect and sell them to accredited recyclers.

If enacted, large establishments would be required to submit PET recovery plans and quarterly reports on collection volumes. Revenues generated from PET sales would be earmarked for solid waste management programs.

Meanwhile, Councilor Joel Garganera has filed the proposed Plastic Waste Reduction and Producer Responsibility Ordinance, which would require establishments to install recycling bins for plastic bottles and packaging materials.

The proposal also seeks to establish a rebate or deposit-return system that would grant consumers refunds of P2 for every PET or glass bottle returned and P1 for every aluminum can surrendered at designated collection points. The incentive-based scheme aims to encourage recycling and reduce the volume of waste ending up in landfills.

Earlier, the City Solid Waste Management Board set a target of diverting 85 percent of the city’s daily waste away from landfills within a year through intensified segregation campaigns, composting facilities and recycling partnerships with private firms.

The city has also started converting biodegradable waste collected from Carbon Public Market, other public markets and several barangays into compost, which can be used as organic fertilizer while helping reduce methane emissions.

Despite these initiatives, Cebu City continues to face significant waste management challenges.

With hauling contracts to Aloguinsan having expired, the city has resumed temporary waste dumping at the South Road Properties (SRP), drawing criticism from residents and environmental groups.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) previously warned that SRP’s proximity to coastal and water ecosystems makes it environmentally sensitive and unsuitable for long-term waste disposal. The agency issued the warning when the city sought clearance to use the area following the fatal Binaliw landfill collapse.

Environmental advocates and several city councilors have also opposed proposals to reopen the Binaliw landfill, arguing that the facility should remain closed until safety concerns are fully addressed. FPL (CEBU NEWS)