Cebu City Government delays shutdown of SRP garbage transfer station

CEBU City has moved the implementation of its plan to stop using the South Road Properties (SRP) as a temporary garbage transfer station from Saturday, July 25, 2026, to Friday, July 31, to allow more time to finalize logistics for a new barangay-based waste collection system.

Mayor Nestor Archival announced the revised schedule during a press conference on Monday, July 27, saying the City needed additional time to complete documentation and coordinate operational details with the Department of Public Services (DPS), private garbage contractor Pinoy Basurero, truck drivers and the city’s 80 barangays.

“We moved it a little because there are certain documentation requirements. Our schedule is now July 31,” Archival said.

Decentralized scheme

Beginning at 11 p.m. on July 31, barangay garbage trucks will no longer haul mixed waste to the SRP. Instead, they will bring collected garbage to designated exchange or pickup points within their respective districts, where trucks operated by Pinoy Basurero will collect the waste and transport it directly to the landfill in Aloguinsan. The City aims to complete the nightly transfer operations by around 3 a.m.

The new collection scheme follows meetings among the City Government, DPS personnel, private haulers and barangay captains to determine transfer points and truck assignments. Under the setup, lowland barangays with mixed waste will use designated exchange points, while 10 barangays already implementing waste segregation will continue bringing their waste directly to the City eco-station.

The shift forms part of the City’s effort to comply with an Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 cease and desist order directing Cebu City to stop transferring garbage at the SRP following environmental violations at the site.

Permanent facility plans

Although the City is discontinuing the use of the SRP as an open transfer area, Archival said officials are studying options for a permanent, compliant facility recommended by the EMB 7. Proposals include a ramp system allowing smaller barangay trucks to unload directly into larger hauling trucks, or a fully enclosed concrete transfer station with perimeter walls to contain odors.

“So there will be no garbage left exposed on the ground,” Archival said.

He noted that a ramp facility would take about 45 days to construct based on the original concept, but both proposals remain under evaluation regarding construction costs and environmental safeguards.

Escalating expenses

The interim arrangement comes as Cebu City continues to shoulder significantly higher garbage disposal expenses following the closure of the Binaliw landfill after a Jan. 8 trash slide that killed 36 people. The City now pays Pinoy Basurero roughly P3,906 per ton to haul waste to Aloguinsan.

Archival previously warned that the City’s annual waste management expenses, originally budgeted at around P500 million, could reach P1 billion or more because of higher fuel prices and longer hauling distances.

Direct transfer system

Archival also addressed public concerns regarding potential waste accumulation at designated pickup areas, especially during heavy rains and flooding. He clarified that barangay trucks will gather household waste during the day and meet private hauling trucks at designated rendezvous points at night.

“There will be no garbage piled on the ground. Barangay trucks will collect the waste, keep it in their trucks and by around 10 or 11 p.m., they will proceed to the designated pickup areas where our contractor will be waiting,” Archival said.

This direct truck-to-truck transfer system aims to prevent waste accumulation in public spaces, minimize foul odors and discourage scavenging.

“There’s no reason for garbage to be left on the roadside. If there is any temporary unloading, it should only be while the trucks are positioned for transfer. The goal is a direct transfer from one truck to another,” Archival said. / CAV