MANDAUE City officials temporarily suspended garbage collection on Friday, January 9, 2026, as the city scrambles to find alternative waste disposal options following a landfill landslide in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City that affected several local government units (LGUs).
Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano said the incident has disrupted waste disposal not only for Mandaue but also for other LGUs that rely on the same landfill.
“This is probably not just affecting Mandaue City but many local government units,” Ouano said.
To address the situation, the City convened an emergency meeting at 11 a.m. on January 9, together with the Mandaue City Environment and Natural Resources Office (MCENRO) to discuss contingency measures.
Ouano said the City is considering the Mandaue Green Landfill Project (MGLP) as a possible option, but stressed that no final decision has been made.
“We are looking at the MGLP, but this is not final. This is only an initial discussion in case we have no other options,” the mayor said. “We will still have to finalize everything.”
He also confirmed that the landfill affected by the landslide is currently not accepting waste, reportedly due to a cease and desist order issued after the incident.
“They are not accepting garbage yet, and that is understandable because of what happened,” Ouano said.
The mayor added that he plans to coordinate with other local chief executives and Governor Pamela Baricuatro to come up with a common solution for the affected areas.
“We will all discuss where we can dispose of our garbage. For Mandaue City, we are looking for a way to temporarily store our garbage within the city,” he said.
However, Ouano declined to disclose the identified site for temporary storage, saying he does not want to release inaccurate information.
“That is why we asked all barangays to temporarily pause garbage collection until we finalize where we will dispose of the waste,” he said. “Garbage is accumulating, and we do not want our city to become dirty, just like other LGUs.”
City Administrator Gonzalo “Sally” Malig-on said the City is conducting a series of meetings on the same day to coordinate with stakeholders involved in waste management.
“We conducted three meetings this afternoon,” Malig-on said.
“One was with environmental transport permit operators or private garbage truck owners in Mandaue City. We also met with private garbage service providers, and at 4 p.m., we met with the barangay captains,” he added.
Malig-on said the MGLP is being prepared only as a last resort and would be used temporarily if all other options fail.
“We prepared the MGLP as a last resort. There are at least three options being considered, and the MGLP is the final option,” he said. “This is only temporary and not a permanent solution.”
He also emphasized the strict enforcement of waste segregation across barangays as part of the city’s immediate response.
“We insisted during our meeting with the barangay captains that biodegradable waste should be separated from non-biodegradable waste,” Malig-on said.
“Strict segregation must be enforced. This has always been a policy of Mandaue City,” he added.
City officials said discussions with MCENRO, barangay leaders, private collectors, and other LGUs will continue until a final and sustainable waste disposal plan is approved. (ABC)