Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has renewed his appeal for stricter public discipline in waste disposal following a viral video showing an individual allegedly dumping garbage into the sea in Pasil, even as the city reports major progress in its coastal cleanup efforts.
The incident surfaced as the Cebu City Government said around 90 percent of accumulated waste has already been cleared from the shorelines of Barangays Pasil and Ermita under an ongoing rehabilitation campaign.
In a statement released Monday, Archival said a concerned citizen sent him footage showing a person disposing of trash directly into the waters near the Pasil Fish Market, an act he said undermines continuing cleanup operations.
He said the situation highlights the persistent challenge of sustaining environmental gains in coastal communities.
“This is exactly why cleanup alone is not enough. The government can remove the garbage, but only the people can stop it from coming back,” Archival said.
City officials said the coastal cleanup was carried out through joint efforts involving the Cebu City Government, the Department of Public Works and Highways, barangay officials, and deployed sanitation teams.
Despite these interventions, Archival noted that improper waste disposal continues to threaten progress in restoring coastal cleanliness and improving sanitation in affected areas.
He urged residents to take responsibility in protecting waterways and to help promote proper waste management practices within their communities.
“I am asking every Cebuano: Please help us protect our rivers and coastal waters. Dispose of waste properly and encourage others to do the same,” he said.
Archival stressed that long-term environmental improvement depends on both government action and sustained public cooperation.
“The future of our environment depends not only on what government does, but on what each of us chooses to do every day,” he said.
As cleanup operations near completion, the mayor said maintaining the improvements in Pasil and Ermita will require stronger community participation and consistent compliance with environmental regulations. (LLP)
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