Archival: Cebu City can’t dump garbge in Aloguinsan, Toledo yet

Local

EVEN with Aloguinsan and Toledo City opening their doors to Cebu City’s garbage, Mayor Nestor Archival said the city is not yet ready to immediately move its waste to the two local government units.

This, as officials continue to study the costs and logistics of such operations before moving forward.

Archival said that while he appreciates the intervention of Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro in securing temporary disposal sites, the city must first determine whether it can sustain the tipping and hauling expenses, especially for Aloguinsan, which is roughly 60 kilometers away from Cebu City.

“We are thankful to Governor Pam, but for the meantime, we are not yet ready,” Archival said in an interview on Friday, Jan. 30. “We are still rearranging our budget and studying how much the tipping fee and hauling costs will be.”

According to the mayor, the hauling expenses involve two separate components: transporting waste from collection points to a transfer station, and then from the transfer station to the landfill. Both cost structures, he said, are still being evaluated.

“These are not yet fixed because they are still under study,” Archival said.

Archival also noted that Toledo City, which has agreed to accept Cebu City’s waste, will only be ready by April, adding another layer of uncertainty to the city’s short-term waste disposal plans.

“We also have to know how much their costing will be,” he said.

For now, Cebu City will continue dumping its garbage in Barangay Polog, Consolacion, which has been serving as the city’s temporary disposal site since the closure of the Binaliw landfill earlier this month.

The mayor said Cebu City will extend its arrangement with Consolacion until March 31, 2026. The initial 30-day permission was set to expire in the second week of February.

“For now, Consolacion first. There is no transfer station yet,” Archival said.

He said that the city is considering the Carbon Market area as a possible transfer station due to its existing shredding facilities.

Archival expressed confidence that by the end of March, the city would be in a better position to start hauling waste to Aloguinsan.

“I think after March 31, we will already be ready to bring garbage to Aloguinsan,” he said.

He added that Cebu City must first reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills to help offset the higher hauling costs.

The mayor confirmed that Cebu City has earmarked P30 million from its disaster fund following the declaration of a state of calamity after the Jan. 8 landfill collapse.

“The fund is ready,” Archival said. “What we need to clarify is when it will be used and until when.”

At least 36 people were killed after a massive landslide hit the Binaliw landfill, forcing authorities to shut down the site indefinitely.

Baricuatro announced on Jan. 28 that Aloguinsan and Toledo City had agreed to temporarily accept Cebu City’s garbage while Binaliw remains closed.

Aloguinsan Mayor Cesare Ignatius “Ig-Ig” Moreno approved the use of the San Rafael Sanitary Landfill as the main disposal site, while Toledo City is preparing a facility expected to become operational by April.(TGP)