THE Mandaue City Council is intensifying discussions on the city’s solid waste crisis amid growing concerns over the capacity of existing disposal sites to accommodate the increasing volume of garbage generated daily by the city and the rest of Metro Cebu.
Councilor Carlo Fortuna said recent council sessions focused heavily on the issue, particularly the uncertainty surrounding how long Barangay Garing in Consolacion can continue to accept waste from Mandaue City and nearby local government units.
“If you saw the last session, the discussion on waste was very intense. The volume is huge, and we are no longer certain how long Barangay Garing in Consolacion can accommodate the existing volume of waste coming from Mandaue City and Metro Cebu,” Fortuna said.
During the last council session, the City Council invited the operator of the Barangay Binaliw landfill to provide updates on its current status.
However, the landfill operator requested a separate meeting with council members to discuss the matter in detail.
“That is why during the last session, we invited the provider of the Barangay Binaliw landfill. They requested another meeting, a more focused discussion with council members, so they can clearly explain the real situation,” Fortuna said.
The council has agreed to hold a closed-door meeting with the landfill operator next week, either on Monday or shortly after, at the landfill site.
Fortuna clarified that the meeting will not be part of the regular council session and will be limited to council members, as requested by the landfill operator.
“This will be a closed-door meeting. It will not be part of the session. They requested a private discussion with the members of the council, and afterward, I will share the outcome,” he said.
For now, Fortuna said Mandaue City is exploring other waste disposal options, but the immediate priority remains the possible return to Barangay Binaliw landfill after a proposed three-month rehabilitation period.
“At this point, Mandaue City is trying to explore other options, but our priority, even in our council sessions, is really to go back to Barangay Binaliw after three months. Hopefully, the landfill can be rehabilitated within that time,” Fortuna said.
However, he stressed that Barangay Binaliw landfill is not a sustainable long-term solution, especially given the increasing waste volume produced daily by Metro Cebu.
“The issue is that we need a long-term solution, a sustainable solution. Barangay Binaliw is not really sustainable,” Fortuna said.
He noted that while waste reduction remains the ideal approach, the reality on the ground shows otherwise.
“The ideal solution is really to reduce the volume of waste so there is less to dispose of. But as we can see, almost 3,000 tons of waste are being thrown away every day in Metro Cebu alone. Mandaue City and the other cities contribute to that volume,” he said.
Fortuna added that with Metro Cebu’s growing population, which includes six highly urbanized cities, it is unrealistic to expect a significant reduction in residual waste in the near future.
“Even if we aim for volume reduction, our calculations show that the waste volume is actually increasing.
With the growing population in Metro Cebu, you cannot really expect the volume of residual waste to go down,” he said.
He warned that landfills are limited by land area, and once they reach full capacity, the city will be forced to look elsewhere for disposal sites.
“If the landfill can no longer handle the volume and the entire area becomes saturated, where do we go next? We will have no choice but to look for another landfill,” Fortuna said.
Given these challenges, Fortuna said the council is now discussing alternative long-term solutions, including waste-to-energy technology.
“That is why the discussion has shifted toward waste-to-energy solutions,” he said, noting that this option may soon gain legal backing.
Fortuna pointed out that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sponsoring a bill that seeks to amend existing environmental laws to allow waste-to-energy facilities, including incineration, under specific conditions.
“There is a bill being sponsored to amend environmental laws so that waste-to-energy, which includes incineration, can be considered as an option,” he said.
Despite these discussions, Fortuna emphasized that the city’s immediate concern remains the status of the Barangay Binaliw landfill.
“Our main concern right now is Binaliw. First, when will they reissue their permits? And second, how long can they really accommodate the volume of waste?” he said.
Until a long-term solution is finalized, Fortuna said Mandaue City has limited choices and remains dependent on nearby landfills.
“For now, we are still looking at Binaliw because it is the nearest option. There is no concrete alternative yet unless we move toward waste-to-energy,” he said. (ABC)