VARIOUS government agencies have assured the feasibility and safety of the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Barangay Guba, Cebu City, but residents remain skeptical about its viability and the country’s ability to operate such technology.
The P5-billion project, a joint venture between the Cebu City Government and New Sky Energy Philippines, aims to burn household waste in a high-temperature furnace to generate electricity. Officials promote it as a modern solution to the city’s decades-old garbage crisis and its power deficits, but the plan has met significant public pushback.
Why is a project backed by numerous government agencies as safe and necessary facing such strong skepticism from the community it is meant to serve?
What is being proposed
The project, approved in 2022, involves a facility that would burn household waste. The steam captured from this process would turn turbines to generate electricity.
According to City Councilor Joel Garganera, the facility would reduce the city’s garbage volume by more than 91 percent. If it secures all permits and public acceptance, construction could begin in late 2025 or early 2026 and would take more than two years to complete.
The case for safety and need
At a public hearing Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, representatives from multiple national agencies assured residents of the project’s safety.
Department of Science and Technology 7 Science Research specialist Imee Kassandra Cacho said the WTE process is “safe and the way to go,” citing its successful use in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore.
Representatives from the Department of Health (DOH) argued that the pollution from existing landfills is worse than that of a WTE plant. Grace Devon Gevero of the DOH noted that landfills release methane and leachate, which harm nearby communities.
The Department of Energy representative, Lourdes Arciaga, pointed to Cebu Island’s limited power generation and rotational brownouts. She said safeguards for WTE projects are already in place.
While the Department of Agriculture noted that byproducts like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain, its chief of laboratories, Norma Repol, said mitigation and monitoring would keep emissions within safe limits.
“There have been no reported cases of acid rain in other countries, provided the facility is operated correctly,” she said.
Public skepticism
Despite these assurances, residents remain skeptical. Garganera acknowledged the public’s lack of trust.
“They question the integrity of departments and our ability to operate the facility properly — and they have their reasons,” he said.
Residents expressed concern that if monitoring and maintenance are not strictly followed, they would become the “sacrificed” party. They also questioned the choice of Barangay Guba as the site, since most garbage comes from lowland areas, and pointed out that agencies have struggled to oversee the existing landfill in Barangay Binaliw.
Other concerns included potential traffic congestion and foul odors from garbage trucks. To address this, the proponent plans to build a 1.1-kilometer diversion road directly to the site.
A history of waste
The debate is rooted in Cebu City’s troubled history with garbage disposal. Garganera, chairman of the City Council’s environment committee, called for an “environmentally safe and long-term” solution.
He recounted the City’s problematic Inayawan landfill, which was built in 1998 for a seven-year lifespan but was controversially reopened in 2016.
“I saw how the situation affected the community — students wore face masks, nearby businesses complained of the odor. That’s when I filed a petition before the Court of Appeals to permanently close the Inayawan landfill,” Garganera said.
The Supreme Court ultimately ordered the landfill’s permanent closure and rehabilitation in 2017. Since then, the City has been hauling its waste to a private landfill in Binaliw.
What happens next
The project proponent, New Sky Energy, has purchased a five-hectare property in Barangay Guba. The company is now working to secure all necessary permits and clearances from the City Government and other agencies.
Before the project can move forward, it must gain public acceptability from both the host barangay and the entire city.
To build trust, Garganera said the City will ensure transparency, suggesting real-time emission monitoring displayed publicly, a system used in Japan and Singapore.
“In other countries, emissions are displayed publicly through LED boards in malls and government offices. That kind of transparency builds trust,” he said. / EHP