THE City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Davao City has requested funding under Supplemental Budget No. 1 (SB1) to augment its garbage hauling services.
Engr. Lakandiwa Orcullo, head of Cenro’s Environmental Waste Management Division, explained that the request for additional funds was prompted by damage to a portion of the Magtuod Road leading to the city’s sanitary landfill.
The damaged road resulted in Cenro trucks hauling garbage from various areas of the city to take a longer route through Los Amigos, Biao Eskwela, New Valencia, and Carmen before reaching the landfill.
It is an additional 54 kilometers (km) kada-truck mubiyahe so with that additional kilometers, additional cost sa renta sa hauling costs, so mao na based sa amoang computation dako ang nahimong additional," he said at the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, September 4, 2025, held at the City Mayor’s Office (CMO).
Budget augmentation for hauling services
Orcullo said Cenro requested P90 million specifically for hauling costs. The remaining funds from the approved SB1 budget would be allocated to other divisions within Cenro.
He added that while Cenro was allocated P370 million for 2025, the unexpected road damage in Magtuod caused the office to exhaust its initial budget. According to Orcullo, the original budget was only projected to last until September, which is why the augmentation was necessary.
The recently approved SB1 — amounting to P960 million — was passed during a special session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on August 27, 2025. The funds were sourced from the 2024 operational surplus of P477,747,942.05 and the reversion of current and prior years’ budgets totaling P483,115,930.
Cenro received the second-largest allocation, amounting to P132,428,118.16, which will be used to enhance street cleanliness and garbage hauling services.
Delays in garbage collection
Over the past few months, several barangays in Davao City raised concerns about delays in garbage collection, which often led to foul odors caused by prolonged exposure to the sun and rain.
Orcullo attributed the delays to the damaged Magtuod Road, which forced garbage trucks to take longer routes. He noted that some truck drivers were unwilling to make return trips due to the extended travel time, opting instead to wait until hauling costs were adjusted.
Another issue raised by drivers was the delay in unloading garbage at the landfill, caused by a malfunctioning bulldozer. Trucks would end up stuck at the site, waiting their turn to dump their load.
"Sa pagkakaron sobra isa ka bulan okey naman ang atoang dagan sa atoang garbage collection wala natay delays-delays (As of now, it's been over a month since we've resumed regular garbage collection operations. There are no more delays)," he said.
He noted, however, that if there are disruptions in the collection schedule, they must “catch up” with uncollected garbage. In such cases, it typically takes two to three weeks to fully recover and clear the backlog.
To prevent further delays, Cenro has increased the number of dump trucks and scheduled more collection days.
Orcullo reported that they have already serviced 145 out of the city’s 182 barangays. However, they have yet to reach some remote areas such as Paquibato, Marilog, and other far-flung locations.
Increased waste collection and expansion of landfill
Cenro reported that as of May 2025, their office has an average collection of 737 tons.
In 2024, they had an average collection of 753 tons; in 2023 at 746 tons, and 782 tons in 2022.
Davao City's daily waste collection has surged dramatically — from around 400 tons per day in 2010 to 700–800 tons per day in late 2024 and early 2025, reflecting growing urbanization and consumption levels.
The local government has allocated funds for the landfill expansion: Phase 1 with P340 million, including excavation, plastic liners, landfill base, and Phase 2 at P200 million, comprising road networks, perimeter fencing, totaling over P500 million to ensure the landfill's compliance with environmental standards.
In an earlier interview, Orcullo said that based on the report of the City Engineering Office (CEO), the first phase of the P500-million Davao City’s new sanitary landfill in Barangay Carmen is now 55 percent complete. RGP