FOLLOWING concerns over waste disposal and insufficient landfills, the Cebu City Government plans to implement the “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” program in coordination with public schools, which recognizes the important role of the younger generation in reducing waste.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said there are around 135,000 students enrolled in public schools. The mayor said the students can help address the challenges of waste disposal and management in the city.
Instead of transporting waste to landfills, Archival said waste can be managed at the household level, promoting proper waste disposal among students.
The “Basura Namo, Kaugmaon Nato” program encourages students to practice the “Garbage in the Bottle” initiative at home, where they can store household waste in bottles and bring the filled bottles to their respective schools once a week in exchange for incentives from the City Government.
The City Government plans to allocate at least 500 million in 2027 for the students’ incentives for their cooperation in the initiative.
“The students will receive incentives, instead of all the money going to the landfill. This is more sustainable because we can just sell whatever we can collect from the children,” Archival said.
At present, the City Government continues to haul waste to Aloguinsan, Cebu, which costs more than transporting waste to the Binaliw landfill. The city spends P3,906 per ton, more than triple the P1,100 per ton it previously spent at the Binaliw landfill. (Jinelle Simbajon, UP Cebu Intern)
