Cebu City expects to completely clear the remaining garbage at Pond A of the South Road Properties within 10 to 15 days, ending nearly seven months of using the reclaimed property as a temporary waste transfer station.
Mayor Nestor Archival stated during an August 4 press conference that only a minimal volume of trash remains, noting the cleanup slowed because city equipment and personnel were reassigned to support a new barangay-based waste collection scheme launched on July 31.
Transporting and dumping waste at a private landfill in Aloguinsan costs the City roughly P6,000 per ton in combined hauling and tipping fees, prompting the expansion of a local waste diversion program that now processes 25 tons of segregated waste daily across 18 barangays.
CEBU City expects to completely clear the remaining garbage at the South Road Properties (SRP) within 10 to 15 days. This cleanup will bring an end to nearly seven months of using the reclaimed property as a temporary waste transfer station.
Shift away from temporary staging
The City turned Pond A at the SRP into a temporary staging area following the trash slide on Jan. 8, 2026, at the Binaliw landfill that killed 36 people and disrupted local waste management. However, operating without required environmental permits prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau to issue a cease and desist order on June 7, giving the City 60 to 90 days to clear the site.
Operations at the SRP site officially slowed down after Cebu City launched a new barangay-based waste collection scheme on July 31. Under this system, garbage trucks no longer converge at the reclaimed property before hauling waste to a private landfill in Aloguinsan.
Mayor Nestor Archival stated during a press conference on Tuesday, Aug. 4, that only a minimal volume of trash remains at Pond A. The cleanup at the site has progressed slower than initially planned because city personnel and heavy machinery were reassigned to support the rollout of the new collection scheme in local neighborhoods.
“Naa gyud na sa busy kaayo nga time kay ang atong mga ekipo naa na man gud sa mga barangay (It really happens during very busy times because our equipment is already in the barangays). Siguro (Maybe) within the next 10 days to 15 days,” Archival said, explaining the revised cleanup timeline.
High hauling costs and waste diversion
Closing the nearby landfill forced the City to haul garbage to Aloguinsan, driving up spending due to the longer travel distance. Transporting and dumping waste at the distant site costs the City roughly P6,000 per ton in combined hauling and tipping fees.
To lower these expenses, Cebu City has expanded its waste diversion program, turning organic materials and recyclables into compost, animal feed and reusable goods rather than paying to dump them.
Participation in the waste diversion initiative has grown from 10 to 18 barangays, now including Mambaling, Sambag 2, T. Padilla, Talamban, Pasil, Inayawan, Barrio Luz, Tisa, Mabolo, Hipodromo, San Jose, Kamagayan, Basak San Nicolas, Basak Pardo, Sta. Cruz, Lorega, Apas, Lahug and Kasambagan. As a result, the City's eco-station now processes 25 tons of segregated waste daily, up from 20 tons previously. Every ton processed locally directly reduces the City's overall hauling expenditures.
“If you are going to equate this into pesos, that’s where we can save,” Archival said.
Collection bottlenecks and long-term plans
Under the updated collection setup, clustered barangays deliver waste to designated exchange points, where private contractor Pinoy Basurero collects and hauls it directly to Aloguinsan.
The transition encountered early operational friction when the contractor reported that uncompacted waste was taking up excessive truck space, reducing overall hauling capacity. In response, the City is identifying open areas where heavy equipment can compact the trash before it is loaded onto long-haul trucks.
To support its broader waste strategy, the City plans to acquire additional sorting and composting equipment to expand the eco-station.
Officials are also studying long-term processing options, including a refuse-derived fuel system — which uses thermal decomposition technology to convert mixed plastic waste into alternative fuel — and a proposal by Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña to evaluate waste incineration. The City Environment and Natural Resources Office is reviewing both technologies while the bulk of the city's trash continues to go to the landfill, making the clearance of SRP a crucial milestone in fixing the City's waste crisis. / CAV