Labogon residents urge mayor to stop cement plant operations

CEBU CITY, Philippines- Residents of Barangay Labogon in Mandaue City are urging Mayor Glenn Bercede’s administration to issue a cease-and-desist order against a cement batching plant operating in their area.

The plant’s operations allegedly cause air pollution, affecting the health of nearby residents.

Barangay Labogon has around 25,000 residents, with approximately 5,000 directly affected by dust from the batching plant.

Earlier, on March 19, 2025, around 1,000 residents filed a petition against the construction and operation of the plant. They opposed its presence due to concerns over dust, chemicals used in the process, and noise from the trucks and machines.

Some residents reported suffering from illnesses such as asthma, cough, pneumonia, and other respiratory conditions due to the plant’s operations. The noise has also disrupted their sleep.

According to Ines Necesario, one of the affected residents, they sought help from then-Mayor Jonas Cortes, but their concerns were ignored.

“Gipakita namo ni Mayor panahon sa kagabhion inig operate nila moalisbo ang aso. Gipakita namo ni Mayor sa taas kaayo nga stockpiles nga inig huros sa hangin anhi sa kabalayan tanan. Among gipakita niya…September 18, niingon si Mayor, nisaad siya nga ayaw mo kabalaka kay tabangan tamo, so lipay mi. Pwerte namong lipaya nga nisaad si Mayor nga tabangan mi. Gidala, gipasok namo sa among dughan ang iyang mga saad kay motabang siya namo..Dangtan pila ka buwan ang operation sige lang gihapon mao niduol na sad mi diha sa Barangay didto na sad mi nangaliyupo, nagpakiluoy mi nila, nagpakiluoy mi sa Mayor,” Necesario said.

(We showed the mayor how smoke rises at night when the plant operates. We also showed him the tall stockpiles of materials, which, when blown by the wind, spread into our homes. On September 18, the mayor assured us, saying, ‘Don’t worry, I will help you.’ We were so happy and took his promise to heart. But after several months, the plant continued its operations, so we went back to the barangay and pleaded for help again, even begging the mayor.)

The residents also sought assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). They approached the Business Permit and Licensing Office and discovered that the batching plant operated without a business permit from 2021 to 2022 due to non-compliance with requirements.

Despite this, they said then-Mayor Cortes continued to ignore their complaints. As a result, they filed a case against him at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas in October 2022.

In September 2024, the Ombudsman found Cortes guilty of grave misconduct for allowing the cement batching plant to operate without the necessary business and environmental permits.

“Karon wala sad mi tulubagon niya. Kung manubag siya sa balaod sa iyang perpetual disqualification, sa iyang pagka-dismiss sa iyahang posisyon, tungod rana sa iyahang binuhatan kay wala siya’y kaluoy sa mga pobre. Mas iyang gipalabi ang mga dato,” she added.

(Now, we owe him nothing. If he must answer to the law with his perpetual disqualification from office, it is because of his own actions—he showed no compassion for the poor and prioritized the wealthy instead.)

Now that Mayor Glenn Bercede is in office, the residents are appealing to him to enforce a cease-and-desist order based on the Ombudsman’s ruling.

The affected residents also clarified that no politicians were behind their cause.

“Pagka-2019 pani namo gisugdan mga krusada, wa mi gisangpit nga politiko. Karon paba mi magpatabang ug politiko nga nipabor namo ang desisyon sa Ombudsman,” she said.

(We started this fight in 2019 without any politician’s help. Why would we seek political backing now when the Ombudsman has already ruled in our favor?)

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