Cebu City’s trash disposal cost seen to drop by 30%
Cebu City's garbage hauling expenditure for next year is expected to decrease by 30 percent once the material recovery facility (MRF) is established at the controversial landfill in Barangay Inayawan.
“Og naa na ang MRF, we will be expecting an initial of 30 percent decrease in hauling expenses,” said Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., the council chairman of the committees on public services and on environment.
The city government has allotted P312.5 million for this year's garbage hauling fee. The amount is broken down into P9.2 million for December last year; P25.5 million for January this year; P75 million for February to April; P12 million for April to May; P40 million for May to July; P26.8 million for August; and P124 million for September to December this year.
Gabuya has authored the proposed ordinance establishing the MRF at the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill. The proposal is still pending before the City Council.
Aside from the MRF, he said the city government is now looking for other measures that would make Cebu City as a “zero-waste” metropolis.
Among the plans are the strict enforcement of the “no segregation, no collection policy” next year; and the amendment of the terms of reference, such as the establishment of MRF rather than a transfer station, of contracted service provider.
“Ang transfer station dump ra didto and labay rasad sa final disposal site unlike sa MRF i-recycle ang basura. Mao na akong approach ron, hopefully magamay gyud na,” Gabuya said.
The Barug Team Rama councilors, however, have expressed concerns over the proposed MRF at Inayawan landfill, which was shut down last year.
The Court of Appeals ordered the landfill closed for 11 months due to several environmental violations and non-compliance with the sanitary requirements.
But the landfill was reopened last June 28, 2016 during the time of Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña as acting mayor.
The “illegal” opening of the landfill prompted Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman to file administrative complaints against Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his wife Margot before the Office of the President.
The OP though has yet to render its decision on the complaint.
Gabuya reiterated that the establishment of MRF is not a violation of the closure order.
The MRF, he said, solely aims to segregate the trash and to treat the tons of the city's generated garbage pursuant to Section 32 of the Republic Act 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act.
The facility would process or treat wastes, including organic waste, paperboard, wood, plastic, construction/demolition waste, textile, tins, rubber, and bottles.
“Confident ko kay sa akong ingon mandated man ang LGU (local government unit) nga mo-put up og MRF. Second, mga kauban nako sa konseho makasabot nga there is no other way nga maminos ang atong basura, i-segregate man nato ang basura, 10 percent ra atoang malabay sa final disposal site,” he said.