Lapu-Lapu City is among the local government units most affected by the temporary closure of the Binaliw landfill, which serves as the city’s primary waste disposal site.
Mayor Cindi King Chan said the city has temporarily halted garbage deliveries to Binaliw due to safety concerns, prompting officials to explore alternative measures to ensure continuous household waste collection.
To address the situation, Chan said the city has requested approval from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR 7) to operate its transfer station at the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay Soong, Mactan.
“This will allow us to continue collecting household waste despite the suspension of operations at the Binaliw landfill,” Chan said.
The mayor also appealed to residents to actively reduce waste generation while the landfill remains closed.
She urged Oponganons to strictly practice waste segregation, recycling, and composting at home.
Recyclable items such as plastic bottles, plastic cups, cardboard, and other reusable materials should be properly separated to prevent them from adding to the city’s waste volume, Chan said.
Biodegradable waste, including dried leaves, fruit and vegetable peelings, and food leftovers, may be processed through compost pits.
“We are doing everything we can to minimize waste while operations at the Binaliw landfill are still suspended,” the mayor said.
Chan also announced that the city will convene its Solid Waste Management Board this week for its first-quarter meeting to discuss and implement a purok-based waste segregation system, along with other programs aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling waste.
She called on residents to cooperate with the city’s waste management initiatives, stressing that collective effort is key to addressing the ongoing garbage problem. (VCL)
