CEBU CITY Mayor Nestor Archival has directed the city’s garbage hauling contractor to sanitize waste trucks before they travel to Aloguinsan and warned drivers against overspeeding following complaints from residents in Carcar City.
Archival issued the directive during a press conference on Monday, June 29, after residents raised concerns over foul-smelling garbage trucks and alleged speeding along the route used to transport Cebu City’s waste to its temporary disposal site in Aloguinsan.
“We were able to contact the contractor already,” Archival said.
The mayor said the contractor has been instructed to disinfect and sanitize garbage trucks before dispatch to minimize the foul odor reported by residents.
“Before nila ipadagan ang truck, kinahanglan ilang disinfect o i-sanitize aron mawala ang baho,” he said.
Archival also said the contractor was warned to ensure its drivers observe speed limits while passing through communities.
“So, ato na silang gitagaan og warning,” he said.
The mayor added that the city verified the complaints and found that while some reports were valid, others were not.
“We verified the complaints. Some are true, but there are also reports that are not,” Archival said.
He encouraged residents to report any violations involving garbage trucks directly to Cebu City Hall through its hotline, adding that complaints may also be sent to his mobile phone for immediate action.
The city’s response came after Carcar City resident Ardiente Perez issued an open letter urging Cebu City, Carcar City, and the Municipality of Aloguinsan to address complaints involving garbage trucks transporting waste to Aloguinsan.
Perez alleged that some trucks were speeding through residential areas, particularly in Barangay Valencia and nearby communities, while emitting foul odors during their trips.
He said residents feared the speeding vehicles posed risks to motorists and pedestrians, while the persistent odor had become a nuisance and raised concerns about possible health and environmental impacts.
Perez also urged the concerned local government units to coordinate and implement measures that would protect communities along the garbage hauling route.
The complaints surfaced as Cebu City continues transporting its garbage to Aloguinsan under an emergency disposal arrangement following the closure of the Binaliw sanitary landfill after the Jan. 8 trash slide that killed 36 workers and one rescuer.
Since the landfill shutdown, hundreds of tons of waste have been hauled daily to Aloguinsan, increasing the number of garbage trucks passing through southern Cebu municipalities, including Carcar City.
The emergency hauling operation has also significantly increased the city’s waste disposal costs.
Earlier, Archival said Cebu City is spending about P4.2 million daily to transport and dispose of its garbage in Aloguinsan, with hauling costs reaching nearly P3,906 per ton—more than three times the previous disposal cost at the Binaliw landfill.
The city is targeting the complete removal of the remaining garbage stockpile at the South Road Properties transfer station by the first week of July while continuing to evaluate long-term waste management options, including the eventual reopening of the Binaliw landfill once it is declared safe and the construction of a new waste processing facility.
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