CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said all 80 barangays in the city will utilize their Local Development Fund (LDF), amounting to ₱8 million each, particularly for the purchase of shredding machines to help reduce the volume of garbage.
In a press briefing yesterday (February 2), Archival said the city government will convene an emergency meeting through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) with all barangay officials to provide clear direction on the plan.
He said the meeting will include a discussion on the ₱8 million LDF allocation agreed upon for each barangay, noting that at least ₱2.5 million from the fund will be used under an emergency program aimed at reducing garbage volume.
Archival explained that the ₱8 million is part of the LDF currently held by the city government, and that the release of the fund is subject to certain criteria, including environmental protection initiatives—under which the purchase of shredding machines falls.
The city government, he said, will facilitate the release of funds to the 80 barangays, considering that the money is already allocated under the LDF.
Once barangay captains understand the program, the city will ask them to identify areas where shredding operations can be conducted.
Archival said once barangays have identified suitable sites and acquired shredding machines using their LDF, the city expects to significantly reduce the cost of hauling and tipping fees paid to landfills.
Aside from lowering costs, the shredding initiative will also support composting efforts. “Karon ang atong gipaninguha nga munaog ang atong waste nga dad-unon sa landfill,” Archival said.
The mayor emphasized that reducing the volume of waste sent to landfills will directly result in lower fees for the city government. He said every barangay must own a shredding machine to ensure the program’s success.
Today, February 3, Councilor Dave Tumulak is scheduled to present before the City Council a plan highlighting the importance of purchasing shredding machines, said the mayor.
To ensure effectiveness and sustainability, Archival said the LDF will be released to barangay captains, who will form an environmental committee and designate a focal person to oversee the program.
This setup, he said, will allow the city government to monitor whether barangays are successfully reducing the volume of garbage they send to landfills. “Kung wala munaog, sa ato pa, muggawas nga wala nila gihimo,” Archival said.
He expressed confidence that all barangays will support the initiative, noting that, aside from lowering costs, the program will also help keep communities clean.
However, Archival acknowledged that while several shredding machines already exist in the city and barangays, many are currently unusable due to damage and lack of maintenance from previous administrations.
He said the city is now conducting an inventory of the machines to determine which units can still be repaired and reused.
Archival said that if the shredding program is fully implemented, the city could reduce its daily waste volume by as much as 200 tons within six months, down from the current 600 tons per day.
At present, the city government is in talks with the municipalities of Aloguinsan and Bogo City as possible disposal sites for its waste, although both are located far from Cebu City.
With this, Archival said the city’s direction is to minimize the amount of garbage transported to any landfill. Even if disposal sites are far, reduced waste volume would help keep hauling and tipping costs manageable, he said.
Currently, Cebu City’s waste is being disposed of at the Asian Energy landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion, which the city hopes to continue using until March 30, 2026. If no alternative is secured by then, Archival said waste disposal will be distributed between Aloguinsan and Bogo City.
He said the city is negotiating to keep expenses low, noting that while ₱30 million has been allotted for waste management, the funds must be stretched to last longer.
Archival also said the city has already begun implementing shredding and waste segregation, citing Carbon Public Market as an example. He said the market generates about 60 tons of waste daily, and the city has already reduced this by at least 30 tons, resulting in savings of around ?90,000 per day.
“We have proven that the moment the garbage is being shredded, instead of 16 ka sako mahimo nalang at least tulo ka sako,” Archival said, stressing the importance of implementing the initiative in all barangays.
He said the pilot test was first conducted in Barangay Kamputhaw. “It is very successful, nakabantay sila nga munaog gyud,” Archival said.
One of the main challenges, however, is that many barangays still lack designated areas for shredding. Some barangays may partner with neighboring communities to process their waste through shared shredding facilities, said the mayor.
Of the city’s 80 barangays, at least 30 are classified as upland areas. For these upland barangays, the city government has requested barangay captains to stop transporting their waste to landfills, as they have sufficient space for composting.
Archival said the 30 upland barangays alone could help the city save an additional 30 to 40 tons of waste daily, equivalent to about ₱90,000 in daily savings.
Carbon Public Market, which serves as the city’s Material Recovery Facility (MRF), is also being maximized to accommodate nearby barangays such as Ermita, San Roque, and other adjacent areas.
This week, Archival said the MRF will be expanded to allow garbage trucks from nearby barangays to deliver waste for shredding and composting.
| Written by Kristin De Dios
