City Council okays disposing Mandaue’s garbage to Binaliw landfill

Better roads leading to the ARN Builders operated landfill in Barangay Binaliw in Cebu City is one of the benefits the landfill offers to Mandaue City government. | Photo contributed by Joel Garganera on February 2019

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Trash collected from Mandaue City households and establishments will now be disposed at the privately-run landfill in Barangay Binaliw in Cebu City, at least for the next 12 months.

This is after the City Council unanimously carried the resolution giving Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing the authority to enter into a one-year contract with ARN Builders, the operator of the Binaliw landfill, for the use of their facility.

The City Council held an emergency session on Thursday morning to expedite the approval of the contract with ARN Builders in order to immediately address the city’s problems on where to dispose its waste following the indefinite closure of the landfill in Consolacion town operated by Asian Energy Systems Corp.

Read more: Mandaue dads to hold emergency session on Thursday to tackle garbage woes

The Consolacion landfill has closed down since Monday, May 6,2019, after the mountain of trash started to become unstable and slid off.

City Councilor Carmelino “Jun” Del Mar, who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection, said transferring the disposal of the city’s wastes in Binaliw would even be economically advantageous to the city.

“It is a lot better. Makadaginot ang city kay first, sa distance pa lang daan we can save much on fuel consumption. Second, sa wear and tear sa imong sakyanan you don’t spend so much kay nindot na man og dalan,” Del Mar said.

(It is a lot better. The city can save because first, the distance of the landfill is closer to the city and we can save on fuel consumption. Second, the wear and tear of the garbage trucks would be lessened because of the better condition of the roads leading to the landfill.)

The city, which produces an average of 80 tons of garbage every collection day, will be paying ARN Builders P700 per ton of trash that will be disposed of. The city only collects solid wastes every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Read more: Operators get Cenro’s notice to proceed with Binaliw landfill operations

Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, co-chairperson of the city’s Solid Waste Management Board, said that Quisumbing already sent a letter to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña asking for the latter’s permission for the garbage trucks from Mandaue to pass through Cebu City’s streets en route to Binaliw.

In a separate press conference, Osmeña said he would allow the passage of the Mandaue City’s garbage trucks in Cebu City’s streets as he wanted the city to be a “big brother” to Mandaue City.

“Nagrelease na tag instructions sa tanan nga barangays, and we also furnished them a copy of the letter of the mayor to Mayor Osmeña in case there is a concern regarding the transport of garbage,” Fortuna said.

(We already released instructions to all the barangays, and we also furnished them a copy of the letter to the mayor to Mayor Osmeña, in case, there is a concern regarding the transport of garbage.)

“This situation is a clear example of the interdependence of the LGUs. Diri nato makita nga it’s not standalone, we have to interact with our neighboring cities and towns,” Fortuna said.

(This situation is a clear example of the interdependence of the LGUs (local government units). We can see that it’s not a standalone thing, we have to interact with our neighboring cities and towns.)/dbs