City to wait 3 more months for Naga waste facility

Cebu City will have an option where to dump its garbage when a privately run materials recovery facility in Naga City becomes fully operational in the next three months, said lawyer Jade Ponce,  chairman of the city’s Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB).

Ponce said the Naga City facility was closer to the old Inayawan landfill and had better roads  compared to the garbage facility in Pulog, Consolaction town, which the city was using.

“It is ideal for us to have the Consolacion and Naga City facilities at the same time but the Naga City facility will be available in the next three months yet,” he said.

Ponce said  barangays in the north could use the Pulog, Consolacion, landfill while those in the south could divert their garbage to the Naga City facility.

But operators of the Naga City facility appeared during the SWMB meeting held on Wednesday to ask for three months more before they could accommodate the city’s garbage.

Until then, Ponce said the city government especially the SWMB is looking into different landfill remediation proposals, including means to convert garbage to energy.

“We are now looking at all the offers to consider the best offer … but definitely, reopening of the landfill is already out of the question,” he said.

Ponce said they are especially after the least costly and most efficient proposal.

transfer station

Ponce also encouraged barangay officials to bring their garbage to the temporary transfer station at the service area of the Inayawan landfill.

He made the call after receiving several complaints from barangay officials that barangay garbage trucks started bogging down since they started disposing their garbage in Consolacion.

The barangay officials cited the bad roads especially in barangays Pit-os, Cebu City, where they pass through on their way to Consolacion.

Ponce said the city government leased 10-wheeler trucks to transport garbage from the transfer station to Consolacion town.

Mandaue laws

Aside from the bad roads, the drivers of the garbage trucks are also hindered by the strict implementation of the Solid Waste Management of Mandaue City on the proper transportation of garbage.

Placido Jerusalem, Mandaue City’s Solid Waste Management head, said they had apprehended at least seven Cebu City garbage trucks for violating the city ordinance on garbage transport.

The trucks passed  along busy streets of Mandaue City and  transported garbage that spilled liquid waster on the streets with no proper covering producing a foul odor.

The apprehended  drivers were issued environmental citation tickets, which carry a fine of P500 that should be settled within 72 hours. If they fail to pay the fine, then cases for violating the city ordinance will be filed against them.

Jerusalem said they were now apprehending garbage trucks spilling garbage on the streets, but next time they would require permits to transport the garbage from them.

Jerusalem said he was hoping that the Cebu city government would understand their action and would respect the laws and ordinances of Mandaue City.

Sinulog garbage

Meanwhile, Dionisio Gualiza of the he Department of Public Service said there were less garbage during this year’s Sinulog revelry compared to last year.

Gualiza said they collected 113 tons of garbage this year, which was much lower of the almost-200 tons of garbage collected last year.

“The public has already learned to segregate and lessen the use of garbage, specially plastics,” Gualiza said. /With reports from Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya and Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza