CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Few days after Mayor Nestor Archival met with city councilors to discuss Cebu City’s worsening garbage problem, the City Council has ordered an investigation into the renewed accumulation of waste at Pond A in the South Road Properties (SRP).
The council on Wednesday approved, without objection or discussion, a resolution authored by Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. directing the Committee on Environment to conduct an inquiry into reports that garbage has once again piled up at the site.
The resolution underscored the urgency of the issue, citing reports by The Freeman that showed massive heaps of mixed waste at Pond A despite earlier assurances from the city administration that the area had already been cleared.
Alcover noted that Pond A was intended only as a temporary transfer station, where garbage would be stored for no more than 24 hours before being hauled to Aloguinsan. Instead, he said, the area has effectively become an open dumpsite.
After personally inspecting the site, Alcover raised concerns over its environmental impact, citing reports that the garbage piles have begun encroaching on nearby mangrove areas. He warned that the continued dumping could pose serious threats to wildlife habitats and coastal ecosystems surrounding the SRP.
The councilor also highlighted the financial strain on the city’s coffers. Cebu City currently spends P3,906 per ton to transport waste to Aloguinsan, significantly higher than the P1,100 per ton disposal cost previously incurred at the Binaliw landfill.
“The additional hauling expense has become an enormous financial burden to the city government,” Alcover said in his resolution.
Under the approved resolution, the Committee on Environment, chaired by Councilor Joel Garganera, was directed to immediately conduct an investigation in aid of legislation into the reported reaccumulation of garbage at Pond A.
The committee was also tasked to recommend immediate measures to prevent further environmental degradation, protect nearby mangrove areas, ensure transparency in garbage-hauling contracts, and identify sustainable long-term waste management solutions for Cebu City.
The council’s swift approval of the measure reflects growing concern over a garbage crisis that has evolved from a landfill disaster into a mounting environmental and fiscal challenge, with city officials under increasing pressure to find a permanent and sustainable waste disposal solution.
Crisis Worsens
Cebu City’s garbage crisis began after the collapse of the Binaliw sanitary landfill in January 2026, which claimed the lives of 36 workers and a rescuer. With the landfill shut down, the city temporarily diverted its waste to the Consolacion landfill. However, access was later cut off due to payment disputes, forcing the city to use Pond A in SRP as a staging area while garbage was transported to Aloguinsan.
The city, however, was called out by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for possible violations prompting Archival to clear Pond A by March 15. But recent drone footage published by The Freeman appeared to confirm renewed dumping activities, showing garbage trucks lined up at the site and fresh waste accumulating once again.
Following his inspection, Alcover said that the area could no longer be considered a transfer station but an open dumpsite.
“Supposedly, 24 hours ra ta na diha. Dili na ni transfer station, dumpsite na gyud,” he said.
Asked about the return of garbage at SRP during a recent press conference, Archival declined to directly address questions regarding DENR clearance for the site and instead challenged critics to offer alternative disposal solutions.
The mayor admitted, however, that the city currently has no permanent disposal facility.
“As of the moment, wala ta’y kabutangan,” Archival said.
He disclosed that the city’s hauling agreement with Aloguinsan has already expired and that the administration is evaluating the possibility of reopening portions of the Binaliw landfill, subject to safety and environmental assessments.
Should Binaliw remain unavailable, the city may be forced to continue hauling waste to Aloguinsan at an even steeper cost of about P6,000 per ton, up from the current rate of nearly P4,000 per ton, he added..
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/FPL
