Barangay execs want landfill transfer station

BARANGAY officials in Cebu City want a garbage transfer station to be set up in the Inayawan landfill, a proposal that Mayor Michael Rama isn’t enthusiastic about.

In a resolution, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) asked the mayor to allocate three out of 15 hectares of the landfill for the transfer station, where the garbage of the barangays will be collected for delivery to the Consolacion landfill.

But Mayor Rama said while their resolution may be considered, there may be a better way of delivering the garbage.

He said allocating three hectares in the landfill site will give the impression that the dump is still operational.

The mayor said he wants to permanently close the Inayawan landfill site and deliver the city’s garbage to the Consolacion landfill site.

Rama said setting another garbage transfer site in another barangay may be opposed by their officials.

Rama said the Consolacion landfill isn’t ready to accommodate the city’s garbage.

“I will not be forcing (the landfill closure) if the recipient is not ready and if the barangay equipment will be in jeopardy,” he said.

Councilor Nida Cabrera, who chairs the City Council’s environment committee, said the Asian Energy Systems Inc., which maintains the Consolacion landfill, isn’t ready to accommodate Cebu City’s garbage.

Rama said he will also talk with Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado to improve the roads from Cebu City to Consolacion town.

In their proposal the ABC said they can bring their biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes to the transfer station for pickup.

Biodegradable wastes will be dumped on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while nonbiodegradable wastes will be delivered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Councilor and ABC president Michael Rallota said this would save them fuel costs and spare further damage on their ill-conditioned dump trucks.

He said this will also give scavengers a steady source of income.

In Mandaue City, officials said they will push the rehabilitation of 250 meters of road going to the transfer station inside the Umapad dumpsite since rains make them impassable for garbage trucks.

Engineer Rolando Mendoza, chief of the city’s Solid Waste Management Office, said the city will initially dispose of 50 tons of garbage in the Consolacion dumpsite in the first three months and reduce it eventually with the operation of their materials recovery facility.

He said the city will pay P700 for every ton of garbage thrown in the Consolacion landfill site.