MABOLO Barangay Captain Daniel Francis Arguedo publicly criticized Mayor Nestor Archival on Friday, February 20, 2026 claiming the sudden change of heart regarding a waste site in Block 27 has created a crisis for the neighborhood.
The conflict centers on a site known as Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area (NRA). According to Arguedo, Mabolo’s use of Block 27 to manage its waste had already agreed upon following a tension on Wednesday, February 18. However, that permission was suddenly revoked, leading Arguedo to claim the mayor had "lost his mind."
“Naliso napod ang utok sa atong mayor. Gabii ni-okay na sa Block 27, karon wala napod. Resulta ani, stop atong collection sa basura,” said Arguedo in a post on Friday.
(Our mayor has lost his mind again. Last night, the Block 27 was settled, but now it has changed. As a result, our garbage collection has stopped.)
Because of the disagreement, trash pickup in Mabolo is expected to remain frozen until Monday, February 23.
Two sides of the story
The trouble began Wednesday night when City Hall told Mabolo truck drivers to stop using Block 27. Both sides have different versions of why this happened:
The barangay's view: Arguedo says the site is used for shredding, composting, and sorting trash. He insists his trucks were carrying properly sorted waste.
The mayor’s view: Mayor Archival claims the site was never meant to be a permanent dump. He says City Hall staff reported that five or six trucks tried to dump "unsegregated" (unsorted) trash there, which goes against city rules.
Arguedo also noted that while the mayor mentioned six trucks, the barangay only has two that are currently working.
Health, safety concerns
On Friday, the Mabolo Barangay Council passed a formal resolution to protect its residents.
They are officially opposing the use of Block 27 as a general dumping ground.
The council warned that dumping all kinds of waste so close to homes could lead to:
Foul smells and pest infestations;
The spread of diseases and water contamination;
Increased flooding in the area.
The resolution asks the city to stop these operations unless the barangay gives its official "clearance."
Solution
To help clear the pile-up of trash, Councilor Harry Eran, committee of public services chair, is stepping in. He plans to work with the Department of Public Services to see if Mabolo can temporarily move its garbage to the South Road Properties (SRP) instead.
Eran believes the entire mess was caused by a simple "miscommunication" with the mayor's office.
Call for unity
Archival is asking everyone to stop the political fighting and focus on the bigger picture. Cebu City currently faces a massive 500-ton daily garbage problem.
"If you have suggestions, put them on the table. We are one," Archival said.
He admitted the city is in "crisis mode" and blamed the issues on lack of trucks and poor scheduling.
The mayor is urging residents and officials to focus on stricter segregation—sorting recyclables from food waste—to help lower costs and keep the streets clean.
For now, the city remains in a race against time to get the trucks moving again. / CAV, EHP