Cebu City continues use of Inayawan landfill amid closure order

Dump trucks full of garbage line up at the entrance of the Inayawan landfill as they wait for their turn to dump their garbage. Cebu City will continue to use the landfill until there is a court order for its closure. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

THE Cebu City government will continue to use the Inawayan Sanitary Landfill and will dump garbage it collects there.

This despite the order of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secrertary Gina Lopez closing down the facility.

Cebu City Department of Public Services (DPS) assistant head John Paul Gelasque said the city will continue to use the landfill since there is no court order yet, ordering its closure.

“Padayon pa man ta sa paglabay didto (We are still dumping there). Wala man written order (from the court) wala pa usab na resolba sa Court of Appeals (There is still no written order from the court, and there is still pending resolution to be solved in CA),” Gelasque said.

Last Thursday, when Lopez visited Cebu and had a side trip to the Inayawan landfill, she ordered its closure after finding out that the landfill was near the sea.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in an earlier press conference, said he was not ready to give up the fight to keep the landfill open.

“Kana man gud moingon sila ipasirado, dili man gud na siya immediate kay dapat tan-awon gyud nila ang bigger picture. Hatagan og ample time ang city government to look for another landfill,” Gelasque said.

(When they say close the landfill, it does not mean that it would be immediately closed because they have to look at the bigger picture and give the city government ample time to look for another landfill.)

Garbage collection will still be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Plastic

Meanwhile, Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. filed a proposed ordinance to ban the use of plastics in the city and promote the use of ecobags.

The proposed ordinance defines plastics as plastic bags or wrappers.

Alcover said it is one way to minimize or even eliminate residual waste in the city.

“Most alarming and ultimately disastrous for our community and people is the continued use of plastics that end up as a litter and has clogged the city’s drainage system, causing unwanted flooding in the city streets and waterways,” Alcover said.

Under the ordinance, any person, individual or group caught violating the ordinance will be fined P500 for first offense, P1,000 for second offense and P1,500 or imprisonment of five days or both for third offense.

Meanwhile, if a business establishment is caught violating the ordinance, they will be fined P1,500 for first offense, P2,500 for second offense and P5,000 and cancellation of the business permit issued by the city government for third offense.