Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said all 80 barangays will use their P8-million Local Development Fund (LDF) to purchase shredding machines as part of the city’s plan to reduce garbage volume and hauling costs.
In a press briefing on February 2, Archival said the city will call an emergency meeting with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and barangay officials to provide direction on the program.
At least P2.5 million from each barangay’s LDF will be allocated for waste reduction.
Once barangays acquire shredding machines and identify areas for shredding, Archival said the city expects to significantly lower hauling and tipping fees while expanding composting efforts.
“Karon ang atong gipaninguha nga munaog ang atong waste nga dad-unon sa landfill,” the mayor said, noting that smaller waste volumes translate to lower costs for the city.
Archival said the city is also inventorying existing shredding machines, many of which are currently unusable due to poor maintenance from previous administrations, to determine which units can still be repaired.
He added that full implementation of the program could cut the city’s daily waste volume by as much as 200 tons within six months from the current 600 tons per day.
The mayor cited Carbon Public Market as a pilot area, where daily waste was reduced from 60 tons to 30 tons, resulting in savings of about P90,000 per day.
“We have proven that the moment the garbage is being shred instead of 16 ka sako mahimo nalang at least 3 ka sako,” Archival said.
The initiative was first tested in Barangay Kamputhaw and has shown positive results, although some barangays still lack designated shredding areas and may need to share facilities.
Archival added that at least 30 upland barangays have been encouraged to compost their waste instead of hauling it to landfills, which could save the city an additional 30 to 40 tons of garbage daily. (VCL)
