Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will allow Mandaue City to continue throwing its garbage for a while until it can sign a contract with a new garbage hauling service. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines–Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella will allow Mandaue City to continue disposing its garbage at the Binaliw Landfill for a limited time this August while the neighboring city irons out its contract with a new garbage hauling service provider.
Labella said that he has not received the formal request from Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes but has heard reports from the media that Mandaue will be entering a contract with Jomara, which is the same hauling company that collects and disposes the garbage of Cebu City.
“Of course, I would like to listen to Mayor Jonas Cortes. More or less I would like to give due course to the city” said Labella.
The Cebu City mayor said that he understands the predicament and is willing to provide an extension to Mandaue City for a limited time until it finalizes its contract with Jomara.
Labella recently disallowed other local government units (LGUs) to throw their garbage into the Binaliw landfill due to environmental and legal concerns that the management is still addressing.
He gave the other LGUs until July 30, 2019 to stop throwing their garbage in Binaliw.
In recent statements, Cortes said he will seek an extension from Labella since Jomara is still working on its requirements needed to enter into a legal contract with Mandaue City.
Mandaue City used to throw its garbage in Consolacion town but a landslide in the landfill caused its closure, prompting Mandaue City to search for an alternative disposal point.
They turned to the Binaliw landfill and was given a nod by the previous administration of Cebu City.
However, Labella expressed his disapproval over a landfill located in Cebu City and cancelled the city’s contract with ARN Central Waste Management Inc., the developers of the Binaliw landfill.
Labella said that ARN has agreed to eventually close the landfill once the material recovery and waste to energy facilities have been established in the garbage facility. /bmjo