Governor Pamela Baricuatro is moving forward with plans to establish Cebu’s first province-wide waste-to-energy (WTE) facility, a project officials say could transform how the province manages its growing waste while generating renewable power.
Baricuatro confirmed that Naga City has been identified as the preferred site for the proposed facility.
The governor said the project will be pursued through a public-private partnership (PPP) to speed up implementation and attract private sector expertise and investment.
“This initiative has been carefully considered since last year, with consultations conducted to determine a suitable location that aligns with Cebu’s environmental and infrastructure goals,” Baricuatro said.
“We have in the works a PPP that we are working on. In fact, we already located a place kung asa sila gusto mo-operate,” she added.
She noted that the absence of a large-scale WTE facility has long limited Cebu’s ability to manage waste effectively, despite the province’s rapid growth and increasing garbage generation.
The governor stressed that addressing solid waste concerns has become even more urgent following recent disasters, including flooding and the Binaliw landfill incident, which exposed vulnerabilities in drainage and disposal systems.
“Kinahanglanon na nato oy. Nibigay na jud — nibigay na first ang flooding, then kani karon (Binaliw). These are things that should have been done years ago, so we have to do it now,” she said.
The provincial government aims to finalize the PPP agreement within 2026, with Baricuatro expressing confidence the deal can be concluded within the year.
She added that while formal discussions with the Regional Development Council’s (RDC) environment committee have yet to take place, the province has already begun advancing the project internally.
Plans place the facility near the Apo Cement area in Naga City.
Baricuatro also noted that the WTE project will complement other major provincial initiatives, including dam construction, as part of a broader disaster risk reduction and sustainable development strategy.
Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces echoed the governor’s statements, describing the WTE facility as a key component of a wider overhaul of Cebu’s solid waste management system.
Empaces said the provincial government had already prioritized accelerating the Solid Waste Management Plan even before recent incidents brought the issue to public attention.
“This effort runs parallel to other governance reforms, such as the establishment of a Transportation Council,” Empaces said.
“Six months ni siya nga goal kay kinahanglan mani i-take sa RDC level para maka-request ta’g funding. Target nga ma-introduce sa RDC second quarter of the year,” he added.
In the short term, the province is focusing on launching mechanisms for a province-wide cleanliness drive and conducting consultations with environmental committees and stakeholders.
For the long term, Empaces said Cebu aims to integrate waste management, WTE development, drainage improvement, and flood mitigation into a single comprehensive plan, with discussions at the RDC level expected in the coming months to secure funding and regional support. (SBA)
