Archival eyes P100 million waste incentive fund

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival is proposing the creation of an incentive fund to encourage waste diversion, redirecting part of the city's solid waste management budget from landfill hauling to programs that reward households and students for recycling and composting.

Archival said the proposal has already been presented to the Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board and public school representatives.

Under the plan, the city would earmark between P50 million and P100 million from its annual solid waste management budget to finance incentives for families and students who actively participate in waste diversion efforts.

“Instead of the landfill receiving all the money, the children and families who help divert waste will benefit,” the mayor said, noting that Cebu City currently spends more than P500 million annually on waste processing, including hauling and tipping fees.

The mayor said the program will involve about 135,000 public school students across Cebu City, with parents also expected to participate.

“Ang kaning mga public schools nato nay mga 135 thousand kabuok nga mga students or pupils. We have agreed with Doctor Nimfa (Bongo, DepEd-Cebu City division superintendent) nga ang mga bata usa gyud sa makatabang sa pagreduce sa atong malabay sa landfill,” Archival said, highlighting the role of schools as partners in the initiative.

Under the proposed scheme, students will collect residual household waste, such as plastics tightly packed into PET bottles, and bring them to their schools once a week.

“What they are going to do sa ilang balay, katong ilang mga garbage iglalabay, elabay bisan asa, ilang e-store adto bitaw sa garbage in a bottle, unya dad-on ni nila once-a-week, dalhon sa eskwelahan,” Archival explained.

He said schools, in coordination with the city government, will develop mechanisms to provide incentives for participating students and their families.

Archival said the initiative offers a more sustainable alternative to the city's heavy dependence on landfill disposal.

“This is more sustainable. Kay katong makuha sa mga bata, ato man tong ebaligya. This is the main theory,” he said, explaining that the collected plastic-filled bottles can be sold or processed, generating value while reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills.

The proposal comes as Cebu City continues to grapple with its waste management challenges. The city generates about 700 tons of garbage daily, and the collapse of the Binaliw landfill earlier this year forced the city to haul waste to Aloguinsan, significantly increasing disposal costs and prompting Archival to declare a Solid Waste Management Emergency.

The mayor said the proposed incentive fund aims to redirect a portion of the city's waste management spending toward community-based solutions that reduce landfill-bound waste while encouraging environmental responsibility among students and their families. (CEBU NEWS)