Cebu City’s garbage problem has become chronic and is not merely a sanitation issue. It is a governance issue and a stark reminder that Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, passed and approved on Jan. 26, 2001, remains more honored in the breach than in actual practice.
RA 9003 has been law for more than two decades. It is neither vague nor aspirational. It clearly mandates waste segregation at source, the establishment of barangay materials recovery facilities (MRFs), waste diversion through recycling and composting and the gradual reduction of landfill dependence. Most importantly, the local government units (LGUs) are primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of RA 9003 in their respective jurisdictions.
The question is: Has Cebu City complied with Section 16 of RA 9003? “Local Government Solid Waste Management Plans. The province, city, or municipality, through its local solid waste management boards, shall prepare its respective 10-year solid waste management plans consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework.”
When garbage piles up on Cebu City’s streets, clogs drainage canals, or overwhelms landfills, the problem is blamed on the lack of discipline among residents. While public behavior is undeniably part of the equation, this narrative conveniently overlooks a harder truth: people cannot comply with a system that barely exists or does not function well.
Recent developments show the City still wrestling with the basic components of RA 9003, such that it is now preparing to re-enforce waste segregation by 2026 with a public education campaign before penalties kick in — a sign that previous implementation attempts have been weak. Section 21 of RA 9003 mandates segregation of solid wastes.
Cebu City Ordinance 2031 ordains that solid waste must be segregated at the source. Specifically, non-biodegradable waste shall be collected every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, while biodegradable waste shall be collected on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
It was during the administration of former mayor Tomas Osmeña that the “No Segregation, No Collection” policy was enforced. But in June 2023, former mayor Mike Rama directed the Department of Public Service to collect all garbage regardless of its segregated state. The policy was only re-introduced by then-Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia in select barangays before a potential city-wide implementation.
But segregation is meaningless without MRFs. Collection schedules fail when hauling systems are overstretched. Landfill costs balloon when waste diversion is weak. RA 9003 envisioned an ecosystem of solutions, not isolated commands backed by sporadic enforcement.
It may be recalled that the auditors flagged the P400 million in hauling and tipping fees when Cebu City’s landfill bill soared, largely due to inadequate diversion at source and lack of alternative processing. The landfill in Barangay Binaliw is threatened with closure if violations continue, which would further complicate disposal logistics.
The planned P5 billion waste-to-energy project, supposedly designed to help address the city’s garbage, is now put off due to health and environmental concerns from residents, underscoring the challenge of implementing modern waste solutions without community buy-in.
Cebu City’s experience mirrors that of many LGUs nationwide. Ordinances are passed, campaigns are launched, penalties are announced — but implementation falters due to limited infrastructure, inconsistent enforcement and short-lived political attention. Garbage, unlike ribbon-cutting projects, does not disappear with press releases.
Some local governments, however, have shown that compliance is possible. Cities and municipalities that invested early in MRFs, composting programs and sustained public education now spend less on landfilling and face fewer disposal crises. Their lesson is simple: prevention is cheaper than hauling garbage endlessly to landfills.
RA 9003 is not a quick-fix law. It demanded discipline, funding, planning, and political will, year after year, administration after administration. That is precisely why it has struggled. Waste management is not glamorous. It yields no instant political reward. But neglecting it exacts a heavy price: flooding, disease, environmental damage and ballooning public expenditures.
Cebu City’s current garbage problem should not be treated as an isolated failure or blamed solely on residents. It should be seen as a warning that lackadaisical compliance with environmental laws always catches up and usually at the worst possible time.
The solution is not another temporary crackdown, but consistent enforcement anchored on real facilities, sustained education and accountability at every level from the barangay officials to City Hall.
RA 9003 already gave us the roadmap. What is missing is not the law, but the resolve to follow it without fear, without favor and without waiting for garbage to pile up before we act.
I wish this piece could spark further discussion, especially among local officials in the cities of Cebu and neighboring provinces. If this makes them uncomfortable, that is a sign it hit the right nerve. This column does not accuse for the sake of accusing; it points to law, responsibility and consequences, which public officials cannot easily dismiss. RA 9003 is clear, long-standing, and unavoidable.
In many cases, meaningful reform begins not with applause, but with discomfort. When officials start debating, defending, or even pushing back, it means the issue has finally moved from background noise to the center of public attention.