EDITORIAL - Environmental concerns

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government should be alarmed by yesterday’s banner story in the business section of this paper that tackles a major issue affecting its aggressive promotion of its prized possession: The South Road Properties.

In that story, the Cebu Investments Promotions Center (CIPC) admitted that the growing stench from the nearby Inawayan Landfill could affect the marketability of the SRP. CIPC managing director Joel Mari Yu, according to the news report, said they have already recommended to the City Hall the transfer of the landfill.

Yu is afraid that the continued presence of the dumpsite may drive away SRP’s potential investors. Although the reclamation area has already attracted the interest of the country’s premier land developers, the foul smell oozing from the dumpsite may potentially scare away other investors.

In fact, the Bigfoot Global Solutions, the first locator at the SRP, had already expressed concerns as early as 2008 about the growing stench from the landfill. The city government responded by covering the mountain of trash with filling materials. But that was not enough to contain the stench.    

Yu has million reasons to be concerned about the dumpsite’s effect to the SRP locators. Being an investment haven, the SRP is being promoted as the ultimate destination of property investors in Cebu.  

However, the Inayawan Landfill could dampen the investor’s interest in the premier land properties. As long as it continues to exist, no amount of filling materials can assure investors and their clients of clean air.        

The dumpsite should have been closed long ago. In fact, it actually has no business being put in place in an area near the heart of a bustling metropolis. It is sad that the city continues to use it despite mounting appeals over its effects to the health of tens of thousands living in its surroundings.       

There’s been a move by the City Hall to establish a modern dumpsite in a mountain barangay. But it has yet to break ground, which means the closure of the Inayawan Landfill will have to wait for more years.  

However, as we have said, its continued existence makes the landfill a prime environmental concern. Since the city cannot afford any hitches in the SRP promotion, it must address the landfill’s stench as soon as possible.     

The 300-hectare property has been touted as Cebu’s answer to the bustling Ayala Avenue in Makati City, the country’s financial hub. And plunging into a massive promotional binge to attract more locators should include addressing environmental concerns.