Cebu City transfers garbage staging site from SRP to CCQC

Local

FOLLOWING the closure and clearance of its controversial staging site at the South Road Properties (SRP), the Cebu City government has relocated its central waste transfer operations to the immediate compound of the former Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC).

The operational shift comes after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) issued a cease and desist order against the city’s temporary facility at SRP's Pond A, which had operated without necessary environmental clearances following the January 2026 Binaliw landfill trash slide.

In an interview, Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Mayor Nestor Archival, clarified that the new transfer station utilizes specific concrete grounds within the immediate CCQC vicinity in the North Reclamation Area, contrary to initial reports targeting Block 27.

“One week pa ta,” Siasar said in an interview, referring to the duration of the transfer station's operation in the CCQC area.

Siasar noted that the CCQC facility has been operational to address collection bottlenecks stemming from the city’s clustered barangay waste scheme.

“Nangita ta og space nga magamit nato atong backhoe aron ang backhoe maoy maka-compress didto sa dump truck sa basurero. So mao na kanang atong nakuha is kanang naa sa CCQC nga area,” Siasar said.

Under the previous setup, haulers struggled to compress loose garbage directly between trucks at neighborhood collection points, leading to underfilled haulers traveling to the long-haul landfill in Aloguinsan.

To maximize truck capacity and lower exorbitant hauling fees, the city designated the CCQC compound as a controlled site where heavy machinery can compact incoming trash before long-haul transport.

Under the new setup, night-shift operations run strictly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., allowing crews to load and process waste outside regular working hours without disrupting the adjacent public satellite offices.

The site’s existing concrete pavement serves as a critical containment barrier, preventing liquid waste from leaching into the ground and enabling thorough cleaning before city employees arrive each morning.

Once compacted and loaded onto long-haul trucks, the waste is transported directly from the CCQC area to the primary landfill in Aloguinsan.

Addressing environmental authorization, Siasar confirmed that city officials have held preliminary consultative meetings with the DENR to secure necessary permits.

The Department of Public Services is currently processing the regulatory documentation required by environmental monitors.

The CCQC transfer station will remain active as an interim measure until Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. resolves its compliance obligations with the DENR to reopen the primary landfill in Binaliw.

Once the Binaliw facility meets environmental standards and resumes operations, the city plans to phase out temporary urban transfer sites entirely.(TGP)