Cabrera eyes Talisay dumpsite

A CEBU City councilor proposed a partnership between Cebu City and Talisay City in developing the latter’s open dumpsite, with Cebu City dumping its garbage there.

Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairperson of the City Council committee on environment, said the Cebu City Government could tie up with the Talisay City Government in developing its dumpsite, instead of looking for another site for a new landfill.

“Since their dumpsite is big, we are exploring the possibility of entering into a partnership with them… We will have to go through a long process if we opt to build a new landfill,” she said.

Cabrera said it will take the City at least two to three years to build a new landfill in Barangays Kalunasan and Budlaan and will have to conduct feasibility studies before it can do so.

The councilor is set to meet with Talisay City officials to present the proposal.

Committee

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is forming a committee to solve the landfill problem.

The mayor has directed City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to open official positions for the committee through an executive order.

Rama wants the committee to be co-chaired by Councilors Eduardo Rama and Cabrera, while its members should have exposure to environmental work.

He said the group will be tasked to look for a suitable site in the city for a landfill, as well as scouting other municipalities in the province willing to receive the City’s waste with a fee.

Earlier, Consolacion town offered to let the City use its newly inaugurated landfill in Barangay Pulog for a P700 per ton.

The City’s Solid Waste Management Board was scheduled to visit the landfill within the week.

Capitol, for its part, said they would welcome Cebu City Hall if it wants to use the Province’s Carmen property as a solid waste management facility.

Technology

However, Spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia's stand is not to put up a landfill but to build a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced waste-to-energy facility.

Apart from the Carmen lot, Sepulveda said two other Capitol properties that may be considered for the solid waste management facility: in Barangay Uling and the Balili property in Tinaan, both in Naga.

Sepulveda said the Province has been receiving a lot of proposals on waste-to-energy, believed to be more efficient in terms of managing solid waste.

The governor earlier said highly advanced countries use incinerators, which are more efficient and economically viable compared to other waste disposal methods such as landfills.

Warning

The City Government has been repeatedly warned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to comply with environmental laws in operating the Inayawan sanitary landfill.

The Inayawan landfill, which was built 22 years ago, was supposed to be closed in 2005 after reaching its maximum capacity, but due to the lack of an alternative, the City still uses it.

The DENR also noted the landfill lacks a water treatment facility.

The agency gave the City until March to make corrective measures, aside from reminding City officials to look for a new dumpsite.

“It is a very clear position of the City Government that we are serious in addressing (the landfill problem) and there have been steps and DENR is very much aware about it because I was also being guided”, Rama said.