Summary:
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro announced plans to build two "Green Transformation Parks" in northern and southern Cebu using Japanese waste-to-energy technology, though project construction still lacks required capital funding.
Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano III committed land for the northern hub, while Japan's Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Kentaro Doi, pledged to share Japan's waste management experience.
Serving as the project model, the Guun Co. Ltd. facility in Consolacion currently converts 50 to 75 tons of daily plastic waste into eco-friendly "fluff fuel" for cement manufacturers.
THE Provincial Government is planning to establish integrated solid waste management facilities in both northern and southern Cebu to address the province’s growing waste disposal crisis.
The announcement by Gov. Pamela Baricuatro was made during a high-level inspection of the Guun Co. Ltd. recycling plant in Barangay Tayud, Consolacion.
Baricuatro said funding remains the only major obstacle to constructing the two large-scale integrated facilities intended to address Cebu’s worsening garbage problem.
In a Facebook post, the Cebu Province Public Information Office on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, quoted Baricuatro as saying that while local government units have already started donating public land for the projects, the provincial government still lacks the capital needed to build the infrastructure, which will rely heavily on advanced Japanese recycling technology.
“One in the north and one in the south…. Location is not the problem. The problem is the funding,” Baricuatro reportedly told local officials and environmental delegates during a sit-down discussion in Consolacion.
The proposed facilities, called “Green Transformation (GX) Parks,” aim to shift Cebu away from traditional landfilling.
Instead, waste-to-energy technology will be used to convert tons of municipal plastic and paper waste into industrial fuel.
While the total project cost has not been disclosed, the province has already secured key logistical and land commitments.
Danao City Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III has committed to hosting the northern hub, providing at least one hectare of public land, while in the south, the Provincial Planning and Development Office is currently vetting sites, with several municipalities offering possible locations.
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has expressed support for the initiative, offering proprietary technology developed and tested over 30 years of waste management experience.
Japan’s Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Kentaro Doi, who accompanied Baricuatro during the inspection, said Japan is ready to help Cebu fast-track the project.
“For us in Japan, we struggled with these problems as well and we tried to work on solutions for the past 30 years,” Doi said through an interpreter.
“We are very happy to share our know-how and experience with you,” he added.
The Guun Co. Ltd. recycling plant in Consolacion currently processes 50 to 75 tons of plastic waste daily, converting them into “fluff fuel,” an eco-friendly alternative to coal used by major cement manufacturers.
The facility serves as the operational model for the province’s planned GX Parks.
Earlier, Baricuatro led a delegation to Yokohama, Japan, last February to study these systems firsthand, framing the partnership as the backbone of her administration’s “Clean Cebu Campaign.”
SunStar Cebu reported on March 19 that provincial officials met with private groups and stakeholders to address Cebu’s growing garbage problem. The meeting marked the official launch of the “Clean Cebu Campaign,” a province-wide initiative aimed at improving waste management and cleaning up communities.
Baricuatro said the campaign seeks to turn plans into action by addressing gaps in existing waste systems and reducing risks to public health and safety across the province and its three major cities—Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
The Province must now secure credit lines, National Government subsidies, or public-private partnerships to finance construction.
Toru Hashimoto, president of Yokohama-based consultancy firm Y-Bridge, advised that the facilities could be built incrementally to manage initial costs. He also noted that a comprehensive provincial study will determine whether Cebu will ultimately require more than two GX Parks to handle its daily waste output. / CDF