CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, only around 200 days into office, has appealed for unity and understanding amid Cebu City’s mounting garbage crisis, stressing he is “not Superman” and cannot perform magic to solve decades-old problems overnight.
He urged critics to offer solutions instead of mere condemnation.
It seems a bitter irony, that while a businessman from Bacolod has stepped forward to help Cebu manage its waste, some Cebuanos remain busy criticizing, the Mayor noted.
Ramon Uy, inventor of the RU Shredder, lent machines to Cebu City to process biodegradable waste into organic fertilizer, cutting landfill volume by half.
Archival personally observed the operation, noting that Uy’s generosity highlights the need for collective action rather than division.
The crisis stems from the collapse of the Binaliw landfill in Barangay Binaliw on January 8 when tons of accumulated garbage gave way, burying workers and leaving close to 40 individuals dead.
The tragedy had also exposed long-standing issues at the facility, including poor drainage and environmental violations, and forced Cebu City to declare a state of calamity.
With Binaliw momentarily shut down, the city has been hauling waste to Consolacion, but only for a limited period.
Officials are scrambling for alternatives, yet Minglanilla, one of the options have rejected Cebu’s request, citing environmental risks and unfair burden on smaller municipalities.
Archival said he respects their decision but lamented the lack of solidarity, stressing that Cebu City cannot face this alone.
Archival said: “We are on a situation where we need to help each other. Ako, being the mayor for 200 days, dili ko Superman, dili ko kamao muhimo og magic and some people who want me to make magic. Tell me kay ako sila pahimuon diri…ako silang ipa-side diri nako…so okay ra gyud kaayo ko…kon na’y muingon nga di ko ganahan sa landfill, tagae mi’g options”
Options discussed
Environment Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla came to Cebu and met with Governor Pamela Baricuatro and local leaders including Archival at the Capitol to discuss emergency measures.
Among the options raised was the temporary use of the closed Inayawan landfill as a transfer station. Archival clarified this would not mean reopening the site permanently, but only using it as a staging area while waste is hauled elsewhere.
Still, the plan drew questions, since Inayawan was shut down in 2016 under a Supreme Court-issued Writ of Kalikasan due to health and environmental hazards.
Lotilla reportedly said DENR would ask the Supreme Court for authority, emphasizing that nothing is final yet although Archival said, he would still write DENR to formally request for its representation to the courts on this matter.
Archival, weary of criticism, reminded the public that he inherited a problem created through decades ago. “You cannot expect me to undo 20 years of neglect in 200 days,” he said.
He appealed for cooperation, noting that even Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, operator of Binaliw, has vast unused land that could host a transfer station pending approval from DENR.
He asked residents to suggest viable alternatives instead of dismissing proposals outright. “If Inayawan is a bad idea, then give us a good idea,” he said.
The mayor underscored that the immediate priority is reducing waste volume through segregation. He announced that shredders are already processing 40 tons daily from Carbon Market and making barangay Kamputhaw as pilot for this shredding machines.
He also expressed openness to waste-to-energy technology, asking DENR for guidance contrary to some reports (not this paper).
“This is not the time to argue or bite each other,” Archival said. “This is the time to help each other.”
As Cebu City struggles with overflowing trash and limited options, Archival’s message is clear: the crisis cannot be solved by one man alone.
It demands collective responsibility, practical solutions, and a willingness to share burdens—because garbage, he insists, is everyone’s problem.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol
