Cebu City is negotiating with Toledo City for a long-term garbage disposal landfill to replace Aloguinsan, which officials warn could drain billions from the budget over the next two years.
Repeated solid waste disposal biddings have failed after Prime Waste Solutions Inc. was disqualified on May 5 due to an expired clearance, with no bidders joining subsequent sessions on July 2, July 21, and September 10.
Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña has proposed acquiring alternative waste-processing equipment for segregation and shredding, which is currently undergoing a feasibility study while the city evaluates its landfill options.
CEBU City is exploring the possibility of using a landfill in Toledo City as a long-term garbage disposal option as it seeks to reduce its dependence on Aloguinsan, which officials said could drain billions from the budget if hauling continues for two years.
Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff of Mayor Nestor Archival, said the City is negotiating with Toledo City while studying other options following repeated failed attempts to find a contractor for solid waste disposal.
The Toledo facility, however, has yet to open, according to previous reports from the Cebu Provincial Government.
Closer alternative
The facility was previously identified as a potential second disposal site for Cebu City after the Binaliw landfill closed following a Jan. 8, 2026 garbage slide. Siasar said Toledo is being considered because it is closer than Aloguinsan and its landfill is expected to have sufficient capacity to accommodate the city’s daily waste.
“Ang atong long-term ana is landfill, that’s why we are currently negotiating with Toledo City,” Siasar said.
(Our long-term plan for that is a landfill, which is why we are currently negotiating with Toledo City.)
Cebu City generates about 700 tons of garbage daily, though segregation efforts reduce the volume sent for disposal. Siasar said hauling waste to Aloguinsan, located roughly 60 kilometers away southwest of Cebu City, is becoming financially unsustainable.
“If we continue to transport our garbage to Aloguinsan, ma-depleted jud ang atong budget. Mokaon na’g, di lang millions, but mokaon na’g billion in the next two years,” he said.
(If we continue to transport our garbage to Aloguinsan, our budget will really be depleted. It will consume not just millions, but billions in the next two years.)
Siasar said the administration is concentrating its long-term disposal discussions on Toledo City and Aloguinsan while evaluating other alternatives. However, using Toledo remains subject to negotiations and facility readiness, as the site has yet to open.
Alternative waste processing
Aside from finding another landfill, Siasar said Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña has proposed acquiring equipment for an alternative waste-processing system. The City is identifying a suitable site to install equipment designed to process garbage through segregation and shredding.
Siasar noted that the proposal remains in the study stage while a feasibility study is conducted. For now, the administration is focusing on Aloguinsan and Toledo as its immediate and longer-term landfill options.
Bidding hurdles
The Cebu City Government is also keeping Binaliw as an option, particularly if Prime Waste Solutions Inc. (PWS) participates in the bidding for the City’s solid waste disposal contract. Four scheduled bidding attempts have failed to secure a contractor.
PWS participated in the May 5 bidding but was disqualified because its local government unit clearance had expired. No bidders took part in subsequent bidding sessions on July 2, July 21 and Sept. 10. Siasar said the City remains hopeful PWS will participate in future biddings.
If Binaliw becomes available, Siasar said the City could use the P99 million originally intended for Binaliw’s tipping fees to cover waste from nearby barangays, while the rest would be hauled to Aloguinsan under the existing contract with Pinoy Basurero.
“Katong mga neighboring barangays nga duol ra sa Binaliw, mao ni atong ipalabay ngadto. And then the rest, we will continue throwing our garbage sa Aloguinsan,” Siasar said.
(Those neighboring barangays near Binaliw are the ones where we will dump waste. And for the rest, we will continue throwing our garbage in Aloguinsan.)
This partial setup would also accommodate the operational limit on Binaliw. The lifting of the cease and desist order on the facility included a cap of 500 metric tons of residual waste daily, which is below the city’s total generation of 500 to 700 tons.
Budgetary adjustments
If PWS does not participate in the bidding, Siasar said the City will consider reallocating the P99 million to the Aloguinsan disposal budget. However, he noted that this transfer would only sustain operations until late November or early December, prompting the administration to consider requesting another supplemental budget from the City Council for the remainder of the year.
The discussions follow a City Council resolution directing the executive department to formulate a long-term waste management plan. Siasar said department heads are looking beyond long-distance hauling due to its heavy financial burden, with negotiations in Toledo, the vice mayor’s processing proposal and Binaliw bidding monitoring forming the key pillars of the City’s strategy. / CAV