Cebu City faces garbage crisis

CEBU, Philippines - IT’S final. Cebu City will have to dump its garbage elsewhere starting next month following the closure of the 15.41-hectare Inayawan Sanitary Landfill this month.

The decision to shut down the sanitary landfill was made and announced by Mayor Michael Rama during the first quarter general assembly meeting of the Coastal Management Board (CMB) yesterday morning.

But it seems Naga City and Consolacion, the possible sites where garbage will be dumped, have yet to receive official communication from the Cebu City Government regarding the matter.

Rama told barangay officials that he is determined to close down the landfill as it has already exceeded its seven-year lifespan since it was opened in 1998 and should be been closed in 2005.

The facility costs P208.7 million funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“I was even thinking at the end of the month,” Rama said, adding that the city will have to set a deadline.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) gave Cebu City until March to comply with solid waste management laws and to start looking for another landfill.

City Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairman of the committee on environment, said the city will have a problem at the dumpsite in barangay Polog, Consolacion town.

The problem, reportedly, has something to do with the fee of P700 per ton of garbage to be dumped in their site.

Cabrera also said they are exploring barangay Agsung-ot as another possible site.

Barangay Officials in Kalunasan, where the first option for a landfill was, have strongly opposed the plan.

Inayawan barangay Captain Rustico Ignacio complained before City Councilor Joey Daluz that the waste water system in the landfill has outlived its utility and has overflowed, which reportedly will contaminate the nearby waters.

Daluz said the conduct of an immediate investigation is necessary in order to assess the situation.

City planning officer-in-charge Ma. Concepcion Encabo said, “the landfill is not only contributing to the water pollution but also to air pollution due to the emission of methane from the mixed garbage.”

Encabo said that the city has to apply for a discharge permit before it can discharge wastewaters to any receiving water body.

She said that discharging wastewater to Mactan Channel is considered illegal.

About 500 tons of garbage is dumped daily in the Inayawan Landfill.

Encabo also said the city should also reduce the amount of waste to be disposed to the landfill as projected through diversion of wastes at the source at an increasing rate.

Encabo also pointed out that having a landfill, which is situated near the South Road Properties would discourage investment. —/NLQ (FREEMAN)