Lack of recycling facilities compound garbage woes

MOUNTING. A resident of barangay Guadalupe disposes of his garbage in the growing pile of trash that remains uncollected since three garbage trucks are still under repair.
(CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza)

Only three out of Cebu City’s 80 barangays have makeshift material recovery facilities (MRF), making it difficult for the city government to reduce the volume of garbage it receives from city residents.

“These are in Kalunasan, Apas and Talamban. But we can’t really call it MRFs because there’s no processing of plastics. These are only composting sites,” said Randy Navarro, head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).

He said Cebu City sends biodegradable wastes to these three areas to be processed and used as fertilizers.

Navarro said the plastics can still be sold and the biodegradable wastes can be converted to compost.

“We have instructed the CESET (Cebu City Environment and Sanitation Enforcement Team) and BEOs (Barangay Environment Officers) to enforce the segregation at source so we can at least reach 25 percent reduction of garbage disposal this year,” Navarro told Cebu Daily News.

Residual waste
Under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, barangays are required to have MRFs that will receive mixed waste for sorting, segregation, composting and recycling.

That way, Navarro said, only residual waste or those that cannot be composted or recycled will be dumped in the landfill.

But Councilor Nida Cabrera said this provision of the law is not implemented by the barangays.

“It’s very specific but the barangays didn’t prioritize it. They just want to collect garbage and dump it, they’re not thinking about reducing the garbage,” she said.

Cabrera, who heads the Cebu City Council’s environment committee, said the barangays identify functional MRFs and do house-to-house collection of biodegradable wastes and plastics in order to reduce waste.

Compost
In barangay Apas, Cabrera said their MRF hasn’t been functioning for a year since their bioreactor broke down.

The MRF’s bioreactor converts biodegradable wastes into compost to be used as fertilizer.

Apas barangay chairman Ramil Ayuman said they’re eyeing a different site for their MRF, which is located near the Cebu IT Park.

He said the management will be using the lot where the MRF stands.

“Now, were looking at a new area. We’ve seen one near Upper Panabang which is owned by the Cebu provincial government. We hope Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III allows us to use the area,” Ayuman said.

Problem
He will be meeting with Davide on Wednesday this week to request the use of 200 square meters of the area as the MRF’s new location.

If approved, Ayuman said they will be looking for funds to repair their bioreactor.

After Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama padlocked the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill last January 15, barangays have been experiencing problems in dumping wastes in the Consolacion town landfill.

Long lines prevent barangay trucks from dumping garbage more than once in a day.
Barangays in the south district have started dumping in Consolacion after the closure of the Inayawan landfill.

Minimum fee
“The standby time there is so long since the south district barangays are also dumping there,” Ayuman said.

He hopes that their request will be granted by the governor so they can reduce their waste.

He said if their MRF is able to contain more waste, they are willing to accommodate other barangays by allowing the use of their facility in Apas.

Cebu City officials have been eyeing a deal with the Talisay City government to allow south district barangays in Cebu City to dispose of their garbage in their dumpsite for a minimum fee.

Although an informal agreement was already made by Mayors Rama and Johnny Delos Reyes, the Talisay City Council disagreed to the plan.

Dialogue
Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante said their landfill is already nearing its maximum capacity and that the agreement of the two mayors didn’t reach the council yet.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said he’s willing to talk to Villarante regarding the proposal if he’ll be allowed by Rama.

“If Mayor Mike will authorize me, I will reach out to Vice Mayor Villarante and the Talisay City Council for a dialogue and discuss the details, listen to them and make proposals acceptable to both LGUs,” Labella said.

“I believe there is no substitute for an open and objective discussion of the issue. I’m sure both parties have only the best interests of their respective constituencies to uphold and protect,” he added.