FOLLOWING the deadly collapse of the Binaliw landfill earlier this year, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has directed all 80 barangays to adopt waste shredding to reduce the amount of garbage piling up in disposal sites.
This move comes as the city continues to recover from the tragedy on Jan. 8, 2026, when the landfill collapse claimed the lives of 36 people.
To make this happen, Archival announced that the City plans to allocate P8 million per barangay to buy shredding equipment. He explained that these funds will be sourced from unutilized Local Disaster Fund (LDF) allocations left by the previous administration.
The goal is to stop hauling everything to the dump. Instead, biodegradable waste will be shredded and used as fertilizer. Only non-biodegradable waste will be sent to the landfills.
“The more we help each other, the less garbage we will throw away,” Archival said in Cebuano during a press conference on Monday, Feb. 2.
Reducing costs and waste volume
The City currently produces about 600 tons of garbage every day. Archival wants to cut that number down significantly.
In the next six months, the City aims to reduce garbage volume by up to 200 tons per day. If successful, this would save the city around P600,000 daily in hauling and tipping fees.
This is especially important for the 30 upland villages. Under the plan, they must process their waste locally because hauling trash from the mountains is difficult, takes a long time, and uses a lot of fuel.
“This is how we bring down costs and fix the problem from the ground up,” Archival said.
For city neighborhoods that don't have enough space for shredding machines, the City is studying a "cluster-based system." This means crowded urban barangays could partner with nearby upland barangays that have open land for composting.
Barangay captains are expected to meet later this week to discuss how these partnerships will work.
While the City will provide the machines, Archival emphasized that the barangays must pay for operational costs, such as fuel and maintenance. He noted that cleanliness is a non-negotiable responsibility.
Accountability is key
Archival warned that the City will be watching closely. Success will be measured by how much waste is actually diverted from the landfills.
“If the tonnage of garbage does not decrease, that means the shredding is not being properly implemented,” he said.
He also pointed out that many barangays already have shredding machines but have failed to use them. Some units are reportedly broken or abandoned.
“I will have this clarified, how many years it has not been used, what the reason is, and whether it can still be repaired,” he said.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Liga ng mga Barangay President Franklyn Ong for comment on the initiative, but there was no response as of press time.
As Cebu City struggles with limited and risky disposal options, the Mayor stressed that this initiative is crucial for the safety and environment of the city. / CAV