Cebu City brings trash to Consolacion

The Cebu City government yesterday sent empty garbage trucks to Consolacion town in a dry run to determine the time it takes to bring garbage from the city to a private landfill up north.

“The dry run is in preparation for Mayor Michael Rama’s plan to close the Inayawan landfill starting Oct. 1,” said Dionisio Gualiza of the Cebu City Department of Public Services.

“It will help us become familiar with the route.”

Mandaue City officials, however, said they would block any garbage-loaded truck in line with a resolution that forbids the transport of trash without a city permit and an environmental compliance certificate.

Mandaue traffic enforcers and eco-wardens yesterday turned back a garbage-filled mini dump truck from Cebu City after the driver tried to drive into Mandaue through barangay Talamban.

The truck owned by former Cebu City councilor Nestor Archival was bound for Compostela town around noon.

Mandaue City Councilor Benjamin Basiga said the council passed last Wednesday Resolution No. 12-733-2011 requesting Mayor Jonas Cortes to implement the Solid Waste Management Act that prohibits the transport of garbage that is unsegregated and without the necessary permits.

At dawn on Tuesday, Mandaue enforcers sent three dump trucks spotted in barangay Subandgdaku back to Cebu City.

The Mandaue city government reinforced the number of enforcers and eco-wardens tasked to accost drivers of dump trucks.

Cebu City, which has been looking for an alternative dumpsite for years , has to pay tipping fees of P700 per ton of garbage to divert its solid waste from the over-filled Inayawan landfill.

The management of the landfill in barangay Pulog, Consolacion, however, offered a 50 percent discount if garbage volume reaches 200 tons per day.

The landfill has one garbage cell which can accommodate 200,000 tons to 300,000 tons of garbage. A second cell is being developed.

Cebu City Councilor Nida Cabrera said if the diversion plan is implemented, the city government could tap is calamity fund to pay the tipping fees.

The city used calamity funds to rent shredders and bioreactors when Rama enforced a garbage segregation policy starting last April 1, she said.