Cebu City has placed its solid waste system under a state of emergency as the local government moves to address worsening garbage disposal challenges linked to landfill constraints and rising waste volume.
Through Executive Order No. 075, Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. ordered the immediate rollout of emergency measures to reduce landfill dependence, enforce stricter segregation, and expand composting and recycling efforts.
The order took effect immediately and will remain in force until lifted, citing risks to “public health, environmental safety, and essential public services.”
It comes as Cebu City continues to grapple with waste disposal issues following the partial shutdown and limited operations of the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill.
Under the directive, households are required to strictly segregate waste at source, with only residual waste allowed for collection and transport to disposal facilities.
The policy also promotes composting of biodegradable waste and directs recyclables to be sold or delivered to junk shops, recyclers, or material recovery facilities.
Archival anchored the order on Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which requires segregation and waste diversion.
The executive order stated that proper implementation could significantly reduce landfill-bound waste, noting that only about 15 percent should ideally be residual waste.
“Recyclables can be sold and biodegradables can be composted into natural fertilizers,” the order stated.
The city will first implement the program in 10 pilot barangays within two weeks, covering Busay, San Nicolas Proper, Lorega San Miguel, Carreta, Calamba, T. Padilla, Mabolo, Tinago, Inayawan, and Kalunasan.
The Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board, together with partner agencies and civil society groups, will oversee implementation and conduct a three-month evaluation for possible citywide expansion.
Barangays are directed to intensify information campaigns, reactivate material recovery facilities, and deploy eco-aides or waste marshals to monitor compliance.
Private establishments and homeowners’ associations were also urged to comply with segregation rules and install waste reduction systems.
The order also strengthens the city’s Solid Waste Management Board and creates a dedicated task force to supervise enforcement, coordinate with barangays, and support composting and recycling programs.
The task force is also tasked to conduct trainings in communities, schools, and barangays within the next two weeks.
The declaration comes amid ongoing uncertainty over the operations of the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill operated by Prime Integrated Waste Management Inc., following a partial lifting of a cease-and-desist order by the DENR-EMB 7.
The landfill had been linked to a deadly trash slide that killed 36 people in January, which led to major disruptions in Cebu City’s waste disposal system.
City officials have raised concerns over the limited reopening, citing safety and rehabilitation issues still under review. (LLP)
Photo by Jacq Hernandez
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