CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera has warned that a “public health crisis” is looming if the city government fails to act swiftly on the worsening garbage problem, following the collapse of a proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project in Barangay Guba after the proponent backed out.
In a privilege speech, Garganera said the city’s garbage problem is already “nearing the point of no return.” He attributed the situation to environmental and institutional failures that have left the city grappling with more than 600 tons of daily waste, a defunct landfill, and the collapse of the long-planned WTE project.
Garganera, chairperson of the committee on environment, described the worsening situation as both a personal and collective concern, one that affects not only the present generation but those yet to come.
“We will all be standing in heaps of garbage in no time,” he said, citing Cebu City’s limited land resources and the compounding impact of recent calamities that have exposed weaknesses in infrastructure, watershed management, and environmental stewardship. At present, the city relies solely on the Binaliw landfill.
He lamented the continued degradation of Cebu’s rivers and upland areas, where deforestation and unregulated quarrying have further disturbed the city’s ecological balance.
“Our rivers are clogged with garbage, our mountains stripped bare—and worse, we’ve turned them into dumping grounds,” he said.
The Inayawan landfill, ordered closed by the Supreme Court in 2017 after a Writ of Kalikasan filed by Garganera himself, has yet to undergo proper closure and rehabilitation. Despite operating far beyond its intended 12-year lifespan, the facility remains in limbo amid unresolved land disputes and issues involving third-party contractors.
“It is a ticking time bomb,” he warned, stressing that the environmental damage caused by years of improper waste management has become irreversible.
With no rehabilitated landfill and no alternative facility, the city continues to struggle with managing its daily waste output. Garganera questioned where the 600 tons of garbage collected each day actually go, and how much of it ends up in drainage systems, rivers, seas, and mountain areas.
“This is not just an environmental issue—it is a public health crisis,” he said.
Garganera noted that at one point, the city had been pursuing a WTE facility in partnership with NewSky Energy Philippines Inc., a proposal that underwent public consultations and technical reviews by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Healht (DOH), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Energy (DOE), and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The project was envisioned as a modern solution that would convert solid waste into energy, aligning Cebu with global sustainable waste management practices.
However, NewSky pulled out, citing bureaucratic delays, infrastructure shortcomings, and challenges in land acquisition. Garganera said the company had committed to securing and funding the needed property to ease the city’s burden but withdrew after encountering persistent hurdles.
“We saw the potential, but we also saw the work that still needs to be done,” he said.
Among the challenges raised were the need for improved infrastructure—wider roads, efficient traffic flow, adequate drainage, reliable electricity, and water supply—along with the streamlining of permitting processes that often take months or even years.
Garganera also underscored the importance of sustained public education and community engagement, noting that the city had already made progress in demystifying WTE technology and encouraging public participation.
“Perhaps this was our TOTGA—The One That Got Away,” he said, reflecting on the failed partnership. “But I believe this is only the beginning. We’ve taken the first step, and that matters.”
He praised the officials and residents of Barangay Guba for their openness during consultations and urged the city to stay committed to long-term, science-based solutions.
Quoting George Bradshaw, he added: “Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
The council formally noted Garganera’s speech and directed copies to the Office of the Mayor and the concerned regional offices.
For now, Cebu City stands at a crossroads—between irreversible environmental degradation and the hope for meaningful reform.
Without decisive action, Garganera warned, “we will be standing on a pile of garbage in no time.”
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol
