Cebu City starts dumping trash to Binaliw landfill

CEBU, Philippines — Jomara Konstruckt Incorporated, Cebu City’s current hauling service provider, has started disposing trash to a private landfill in the mountain barangay of Binaliw.

John Paul Gelasque, Department of Public Services officer-in-charge, said the private hauler decided to enter into a transaction with ARN Central Waste Management, the company that runs the landfill in Binaliw, for garbage disposal.

Gelasque said Jomara and ARN’s agreement took effect prior to the midterm elections.

He said the development came following the closure of a private landfill owned by Asian Energy System Corp. (AESC) in Consolacion town.

Earlier this month, the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas issued a cease and desist order against AESC for violating the provisions of Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

Gelasque said Jomara chose the 10-hectare Binaliw landfill because it is the only closest facility to the city.

Over the weekend, at least 100 residents aired their gripe against the operations of the landfill.

The residents want the government to shut down the landfill due to unbearable stench from the landfill. Aside from the smell, garbage liquid finds its way to our neighborhood during rains.

They said the landfill operations do not only pose danger to their health but also to the environment.

As of May 18, there were 300 people who have signed the signature campaign, the list to be submitted to the city government for “immediate action.”

They intend to gather 1,000 signatures.

Jomara was the winning bidder for the P130.8-million hauling contract from January to June this year.

For July to December, on the other hand, ARN won the P65-million bid for hauling the city’s trash.

ARN offered P647 tipping fee per ton of hauled trash.

In March 2019, ARN began accommodating trash from private haulers after they got a permit from the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office for solid waste disposal.

Aside from the landfill which is designed to accommodate 3, 000 tons of trash a day, ARN has a Material Recovery Facility, which is capable of processing up to 90 percent of trash.

The private landfill accommodates an average of 700 tons of garbage a day from private haulers all over Metro Cebu.

The Cebu City government started contracting private garbage haulers since the closure of its Inayawan landfill in December 2016. — KBQ (FREEMAN)