Cebu City is using the cemented portion of Block 27 in Barangay Mabolo as a temporary garbage transfer site to consolidate waste into larger trucks bound for the Aloguinsan landfill.
The city's Department of Public Services is coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to secure necessary operational clearances and hopes to shift transfer activities primarily to nighttime.
Following the closure of the Binaliw landfill, garbage has accumulated in some barangays, and the city’s daily hauling expenses to Aloguinsan have surged from about P660,000 to nearly P2 million.
CEBU City has started using Block 27 in Barangay Mabolo as a temporary garbage transfer site while seeking DENR clearance for the operation, as garbage accumulates in some barangays following the closure of the Binaliw landfill.
Mayor Nestor Archival’s chief of staff, Kenneth Siasar, said Monday, Aug. 17, that the city’s Department of Public Services (DPS) is coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on the requirements for the transfer facility.
The City is using the cemented portion of Block 27, at the former Cebu City Quarantine Center (CCQC) site, to transfer garbage from smaller collection trucks to larger hauling trucks bound for the Aloguinsan landfill.
The arrangement is intended to consolidate garbage and allow larger volumes to be hauled at a time while the City continues to look for a longer-term solution to its waste disposal problem.
Nighttime transfer planned
Siasar said the City hopes to secure the necessary clearance so the transfer operation can be conducted primarily at night, with garbage brought to the site around 8 or 9 p.m. and hauled out by 5 a.m.
The City began using the site last week, while awaiting DENR clearance, as it continued hauling garbage to Aloguinsan following Binaliw’s closure.
Siasar said the change in disposal arrangements has contributed to garbage accumulating in some barangays as residents and local officials adjust to the new collection schedules and system.
He said the DPS has not encountered major problems with the collection system itself, although some barangays have issued their own guidelines to prevent garbage from being left along roadsides.
Barangay captains have also been asked to enforce the guidelines and ensure that residents follow the new collection schedules, Siasar said.
Siasar said the Block 27 operation is separate from a garbage transfer arrangement previously used by Barangay Mabolo. The City is using the cemented portion of the former CCQC property, which had been a parking area.
Garbage transfer
Under the temporary arrangement, garbage from smaller collection trucks is transferred to larger hauling trucks before being transported to Aloguinsan.
Mabolo Barangay Captain Daniel Arguedo said the system is intended to prevent garbage from being left on the ground during the transfer.
He said each barangay is responsible for ensuring that any garbage that falls during the operation is cleaned up before the collection crew leaves the area.
Siasar said the City also uses a backhoe to compact the garbage while inside the garbage trucks so the larger trucks can carry more waste and reduce the risk of spillage during transport.
The City needs to clarify whether the garbage remains inside the trucks throughout the transfer and compaction process or is temporarily placed on the cemented area, particularly because the transfer operation is intended to prevent waste from coming into contact with the ground.
DENR clearance
The City has yet to say what specific DENR clearance is required for the operation or whether the site has already been inspected by the agency.
The City continues to rely on Aloguinsan for final disposal following the closure of Binaliw.
The City now spends nearly P2 million a day to haul garbage to Aloguinsan, up from P660,000 to P770,000 daily before Binaliw closed.
The DENR has not announced when the Binaliw landfill can resume full operations following its closure in January.
Long-term waste solutions
Siasar said the Archival administration is also evaluating waste-to-energy proposals submitted by several suppliers. The proposals are being reviewed by the city’s legal and other concerned departments, but some facilities could take four to five years to complete and would not address the immediate disposal problem.
The city is also hoping the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau will eventually lift the remaining restrictions under the cease and desist order affecting the Binaliw landfill.
For now, Cebu City continues to haul garbage to Aloguinsan while seeking clearance for the Block 27 transfer operation and pursuing longer-term solutions to its waste disposal problem. / CAV