Cebu City Councilor Harold Kendrick Go asked the City Government on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, to present clear short- and long-term garbage collection and disposal plans amid continuing complaints.
The City Council approved Go’s resolution asking Mayor Nestor Archival to submit a short-term action plan until December 2026 and a long-term plan covering 2026 to 2036.
Garbage collection and disposal systems have faced disruptions since the Binaliw landfill closure and subsequent cease and desist orders against temporary transfer sites.
CEBU City Councilor Harold Kendrick Go is asking the City Government to present clear short- and long-term plans for garbage collection and disposal as complaints continue over waste left uncollected for days.
The issue affects how regularly garbage is picked up from barangays and where the City can legally dispose of hundreds of tons of waste each day. Cebu City has changed collection arrangements several times since the closure of the Binaliw landfill disrupted its disposal system.
Go said the council needs to know what system the administration intends to follow instead of learning about changes only after collection schedules or operations have already been adjusted.
“The proposal was to ask the mayor for his long-term and short-term plan with regards to the garbage problem... We seem to be at a stage now where the city is trying to figure things out through trial and error,” Go said in an interview on SunStar Cebu’s Beyond the Headlines on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026.
Collection problems in barangays
Go said residents have complained that garbage has remained uncollected for days, causing waste to pile up and emit foul odors. He also said repeated changes in collection schedules have confused barangay officials and residents.
Under the system in place as of July 31, barangay trucks collect household waste and bring it to designated pickup points. Private hauler Pinoy Basurero then collects the waste, generally between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Go said the City should establish a firm schedule and make it public so barangays and residents know when garbage will be picked up.
He also wants backup arrangements in place when equipment fails.
“If there’s a truck that breaks down, we should have a replacement,” he said.
Truck deployment should also reflect the size and population of each barangay, Go said, because larger areas may require greater collection capacity.
Disruptions after the Binaliw closure
The closure of the Binaliw landfill after its collapse in January left Cebu City looking for another place to handle its garbage.
The City began using the South Road Properties as a temporary transfer point. The Environmental Management Bureau 7 later issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against the operation, saying the site was not authorized to operate as a transfer station and that accumulated waste had effectively turned it into an open dumpsite.
The transfer operation was later moved to the Cebu City Quarantine Center.
EMB has since lifted the CDO against Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Cebu, the operator of the Binaliw landfill. But Cebu City has not yet immediately resumed hauling its garbage there while its procurement process remains unfinished.
Go has also questioned why Cebu City appears to be struggling more with garbage than nearby local governments despite Binaliw’s closure.
“If Binaliw is closed, where do Mandaue, Talisay and Lapu-Lapu dispose of their garbage?” he said.
The resolution does not answer that question.
Plans sought from Archival
The council approved Go’s resolution asking Mayor Nestor Archival to submit a short-term solid waste management action plan until December 2026. It also seeks a long-term solid waste management plan covering 2026 to 2036.
Go wants the plans to spell out collection schedules, deployment of workers and equipment, contingency measures and long-term disposal facilities. That includes identifying an EMB-approved sanitary landfill.
The resolution also calls for the system to comply with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Go said the Solid Waste Management Board should be given a stronger role in evaluating proposals and recommending solutions to the mayor and council.
He said adding members to the board is not enough. The board should assess whether proposed facilities and technologies fit Cebu City’s garbage volume and local conditions and should conduct feasibility studies before the City commits to major projects.
“What may be good for one city might not be good for another,”Go said.
Limited disposal capacity remains
Cebu City still has limited disposal options. Even if the City eventually resumes using Binaliw, the landfill is reportedly limited to 500 tons of waste a day, while Cebu City generates about 600 to 700 tons daily.
That would leave the City needing another way to handle part of its daily waste.
Go said prolonged garbage buildup can create sanitation and public health concerns and can hurt Cebu City’s image as a business and tourism center.
The next step under the council-approved resolution is for the Archival administration to present its short-term plan for the rest of 2026 and its longer-term direction through 2036. / CAV