The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR 7) has ordered the Cebu City Government to stop its garbage transfer operations at a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP), following findings of environmental violations and the absence of required permits.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB 7) issued a cease and desist order on June 7 after determining that waste handling activities at SRP’s Pond A were conducted without authorization, effectively turning the area into an unpermitted waste staging site.
Authorities said the setup violated Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which prohibits unsegregated dumping and the operation of unauthorized disposal areas.
EMB 7 Clearance and Permitting Division Chief Rizalina Saberon said the city government had no authority to use the SRP site as a waste facility and that regulators had already moved to correct the situation through formal notices.
“The area is not a dumping site,” Saberon said, adding that environmental compliance requirements, including clearances under the Environmental Impact Statement System, were not secured before operations began.
Saberon also confirmed that inspectors observed mixed waste at the site, a practice prohibited under national solid waste regulations that require segregation at source.
Authorities said the findings prompted the issuance of a notice of violation and the subsequent cease and desist order.
Following a technical conference between DENR 7 and city officials, Cebu City committed to clearing the accumulated waste within 60 to 90 days due to the large volume that had built up at the site.
Saberon said the agency continues to monitor hauling activities to ensure compliance.
She said cleanup operations are already ongoing, with garbage being transported out of SRP and moved to a permitted disposal facility.
“We are monitoring this one with our staff at EMB… we’ve noticed they are already transferring it,” Saberon said.
DENR 7 Regional Executive Director Laudemir Salac said coordination with local authorities remains necessary to resolve the city’s waste challenges while ensuring environmental rules are followed.
“They have to do the cleanup and once and for all, decide to dispose of their garbage in a sanitary landfill approved by the DENR,” Salac said.
Cebu City began using SRP as a temporary waste transfer point after the closure of the Binaliw landfill following a fatal trash slide in January 2026 that disrupted disposal systems across Metro Cebu.
The shutdown forced the city to rely on alternative facilities, including private landfills, before shifting waste operations to SRP while awaiting other long-term solutions.
DENR 7 said SRP was never approved for use as a dumping or transfer station and had previously been denied clearance for such activity.
The agency has given the city 60 to 90 days to fully clear the waste at SRP, citing the volume of garbage accumulated since operations began.
Officials said monitoring will continue throughout the cleanup period to ensure compliance and prevent further unauthorized dumping.
DENR 7 also reiterated that Cebu City must transition to properly permitted sanitary landfills and comply with waste segregation rules moving forward to avoid similar violations.
Photo courtesy of Sunstar
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