“Segregated” waste still ends up at SRP

CEBU, Philippines — While Cebu City has stopped dumping garbage at the South Road Properties (SRP) temporary transfer station following the cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), waste continues to be brought to the area through the city's nearby Eco Station, which now accepts segregated garbage from participating barangays.

Mayor Nestor Archival confirmed that operations at the temporary transfer station have ceased and that the city has started clearing the site.

“Yes, nahunong na… Ang paglabay didto wala na,” he said.

Archival said only a minimal amount of waste remains and he expects the cleanup to be completed within 10 to 15 days.

“Actually ug naa man gani, gamay na lang to,” he said.

Despite the closure of the temporary transfer station, Archival said the city is making progress in implementing its "no segregation, no collection" policy.

From the initial 10 pilot barangays, participation has increased to 18, with all now delivering segregated waste to the Eco Station at the SRP.

“Ang nakanindot, mao niy nakanindot nga balita, nga ang mga 10 barangays nga nag segregate, 18 na… dise otso,” Archival said.

The participating barangays are Mambaling, Sambag II, T. Padilla, Talamban, Pasil, Inayawan, Luz, Tisa, Mabolo, Hippodromo, San Jose, Kamagayan, Basak San Nicolas, Basak Pardo, Sta. Cruz, Lorega, Apas, Lahug and Kasambagan.

The increase in participating barangays has also raised the Eco Station's daily processing capacity.

“From 20 tons, muabot na tag 25 tons karon,” Archival noted.

He said the city now needs additional personnel to process the increasing volume of segregated waste.

“Ang ato lang karon nga magkinahanglan tag additional nga mga tawo nga maka process ani nga mga waste.”

Archival also cited the savings generated by diverting recyclable and compostable waste from the Aloguinsan sanitary landfill.

“Kung padong tas Aloguinsan which is something like ?6 thousand gyud, that’s 25 times ?6 thousand, mao nay atong ma save. Hauling plus tipping fee,” he explained.

He noted that the city previously spent less than ?4,000 per truckload to haul garbage to Aloguinsan.

The Eco Station, located at the former Bagsakan area within the SRP, has been repurposed into a material recovery facility (MRF). It was inaugurated in June 2026 as part of Cebu City's response to the garbage crisis following the closure of the Binaliw landfill.

The facility was initially designed to process 15 to 20 tons of waste daily, with plans to expand its capacity to 30 to 40 tons. It is equipped with composting machines, plastic shredders, Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming facilities, and recycling areas for bottles and glass.

Archival said the city is preparing to further scale up the Eco Station's operations.

“So ang atong long term, mao ni atong padak an, e scale up nato ang atong eco station in the sense nga kinahanglan natong additional nga composting machines… additionalan ug equipment for sorting aron madali,” he explained.

He added that the city is also considering acquiring a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) machine to process plastics and mixed waste through thermal decomposition.

The mayor said the Office of the Vice Mayor is studying the possible use of an incinerator, while the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has been tasked to evaluate available technologies and submit its recommendations.

“Ako ng gipatan aw sa CENRO ug naa ba silay recommendation padong nato aron ato ng ma discuss thoroughly,” Archival said.

Earlier, Archival reiterated the city's long-term commitment to expanding the Eco Station.

“We are expanding the Eco Station workspace to increase its processing capacity and accommodate up to 40 tons of waste per day. Together, we are building a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable Cebu City — one step at a time.”

For now, however, the mayor acknowledged that most of Cebu City's garbage still ends up in the landfill.

“For the meantime, most of our garbage, padong pa sa landfill,” he said.

Still, Archival said the city remains committed to expanding the Eco Station's operations to serve more communities, reduce dependence on costly landfill disposal, and transform waste into reusable resources rather than liabilities. — /FPL (FREEMAN)