By Junmark Ortega
Let’s talk about something we all notice the moment we step out of the office for lunch: the garbage situation here in Cebu City. It’s honestly getting harder to ignore. From the overflowing bins in the business districts to the piles of plastic sitting in the gutters of our side streets, the “Queen City of the South” is looking a bit cluttered lately. As someone just trying to get through the 9-to-5, it’s frustrating to see our beautiful city struggle with something as basic as waste management.
The core of the problem feels like a mix of “too much” and “not enough.” We have a booming population and a fast-paced lifestyle where everything comes in a plastic pouch or a disposable container. But while our consumption has skyrocketed, our collection systems feel like they’re stuck in the past. We’ve all seen the garbage trucks — often old and overworked — struggling to keep up with the sheer volume of trash we produce every single day.
One of the biggest headaches is the flooding. We don’t need a scientist to tell us that when it rains for 30 minutes, the streets turn into rivers because the drainage is choked with candy wrappers and plastic bottles. It’s a literal bottleneck. It’s disheartening to finish a long shift only to find yourself stranded because the city’s “circulatory system” is blocked by the very trash we failed to dispose of properly.
Then there’s the issue of where it all goes. We hear news about landfills reaching capacity and the search for new dumping sites, but these feel like temporary bandages on a deep wound. Moving the trash from one barangay to a facility further away doesn’t solve the crisis; it just hides it. We’re essentially playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs with our waste, and eventually, we’re going to run out of places to sit.
Of course, we can’t just point fingers at the government. As citizens, we have to admit we’ve been a bit lazy too. Segregation at the source — separating the plastics from the food scraps — is something we all know we should do, but how many of us actually stick to it? It’s easy to blame the collectors, but if we’re handing them a giant, unorganized mess, we’re part of the delay.
There is a bit of hope, though, with the talks about “waste-to-energy” plants and stricter recycling laws. These are the kinds of long-term investments we need if we want our kids to grow up in a city that’s actually livable. We need technology and better logistics, sure, but we also need a massive shift in how we view our daily waste. It’s not just “gone” once it leaves our doorstep.
At the end of the day, we all want a Cebu that we can be proud of — one that’s clean, efficient, and sustainable. It’s going to take more than just a few cleanup drives or viral posts to fix this. It requires the local government to step up with better systems and for us, the workers and residents, to be more mindful. If we don’t act soon, the garbage won’t just be an eyesore; it’ll be the legacy we leave behind.
We also have to consider the health risks that come with these growing piles of refuse. When trash sits out in the heat and rain for days, it becomes a breeding ground for pests and diseases like dengue or leptospirosis. For those of us commuting or walking to the office, passing by these “mini-dumpsites” isn’t just a smelly inconvenience; it’s a genuine public health hazard that affects the most vulnerable communities first.
The business sector has a massive role to play here too. It’s great to see some cafes moving away from plastic straws, but we need the big corporations and developers in the city to lead by example. If our office buildings and malls implemented more aggressive composting and recycling programs, it would take a huge load off the City’s overstretched collection services. Real change happens when the places where we work and shop align with the goal of a cleaner Cebu.