CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival assured residents Monday, March 9, 2026, that the City will create a supplemental budget to cover rising garbage costs, promising that this will not affect funding for existing government programs.
Archival said the City is preparing extra funds for higher garbage hauling costs.
The City, he said, still has enough money to fix the situation. Officials are looking at which budget items can provide the extra money.
The city's yearly waste budget was P500 million. Archival said it could rise to P1 billion or P2 billion because of higher operational costs.
He pointed to higher fuel prices and a longer hauling distance as the main reasons.
The City now brings its garbage to a private landfill in Aloguinsan. This site is about 61 kilometers away, which uses more fuel and costs more money.
Archival made this promise after City Councilor Dave Tumulak shared a warning. Tumulak worried some programs might face cuts if waste costs keep going up.
Tumulak previously voiced concerns about the city's garbage crisis, saying the heavy financial impact of bringing waste to faraway places.
Archival repeated that the City will pay for the extra costs without hurting basic services.
“We are now preparing and requesting a supplemental budget. If this is completed within the week, we will submit it to the City Council and convene the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for documentation before it is endorsed,” he said.
Unused funds to curb costs
Archival said the City might use leftover money, including old disaster funds, from past budgets to cover the new costs.
The City's budget and accounting offices will find the available money.
The local government is also working hard to divert waste to save money.
Archival pointed to Republic Act 9003, which says only about 10 percent of total waste should go to landfills.
The law requires people to recycle, compost, and reduce most of their waste instead.
Archival noted the City will spend about P1 billion a year if it keeps dumping waste in Aloguinsan. This estimate does not even include the extra fuel costs.
Because of this, the city has improved its waste diversion plans. Officials are focusing on biodegradable waste, which makes up about 60 percent of the city's garbage.
Archival said the city now separates biodegradable waste at the Carbon Public Market. Workers process 12 to 15 tons there every day instead of bringing it to landfills.
The City also plans to take sorted waste from the barangays, mostly accepting biodegradable materials that they can process.
Archival added that a shredding area is now open at the South Road Properties to process biodegradable waste.
These steps aim to lower the amount of waste sent to landfills and reduce the city's overall garbage management costs. / CAV