Cebu City Defies Environmental Bureau, Dumps Garbage at Unapproved SRP Site
Despite explicit disapproval from environmental authorities, the Cebu City Government has proceeded to use a portion of the South Road Properties (SRP) near Pond A as a temporary waste holding area. This decision directly contradicts a formal rejection issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 7, raising serious concerns about environmental compliance and public health.
EMB's Firm Rejection and Environmental Concerns
In a letter dated January 15, 2026, then DENR 7 director Ma. Victoria Abrera informed Cebu City Administrator Albert Tan that the agency could not approve the city's request to temporarily place collected garbage at a site beside Pond A within the SRP. The city had proposed this location as a contingency area amid ongoing waste management challenges.
The EMB cited multiple violations of Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000:
- Proximity to water bodies: The site is located directly beside Pond A, where environmental standards strictly prohibit waste facilities to prevent contamination and leachate seepage into the water table and sea.
- Zoning incompatibility: The SRP is not zoned for waste handling, and the proposed site fails to meet required environmental safety buffers under Section 25 of RA 9003.
- Operational deficiencies: Even with protective measures like liners and deodorizers, the site's location near public spaces and water bodies makes it unsuitable for temporary waste storage.
The EMB emphasized that waste transfer stations must not retain garbage for more than 24 hours and require adequate space and capacity to prevent environmental nuisance. Given Pond A's ecological sensitivity, these standards could not be guaranteed at the SRP location.
City's Response and Ongoing Operations
Despite the EMB's disapproval and recommendation to identify an alternative site farther from water sources, Cebu City transported garbage to the SRP area after Abrera was reassigned. The city has been scrambling for disposal options following the closure of the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill after a January 8 trash slide that killed 36 individuals.
This closure forced Cebu City to haul garbage to distant facilities like Aloguinsan, increasing costs and logistical challenges after Asian Energy in Polog, Consolacion stopped accepting the city's waste.
In a compliance monitoring report dated February 16, new EMB 7 regional director John Edward Ang noted several environmental concerns at the SRP site:
- Presence of mixed municipal waste
- Absence of impermeable liners and leachate collection systems
- Lack of odor and vector control measures
- Proximity to Pond A, posing soil and water contamination risks
The EMB urged the city to cease waste storage activities, expedite waste transfer to an authorized sanitary landfill, establish a compliant transfer station, and strengthen barangay-level waste segregation.
Official Statements and Future Plans
In response, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival informed the EMB in a February 20 letter that the city was arranging waste transfer to Aloguinsan to minimize environmental impact at the SRP site. The City Government reissued directives to barangays to enforce strict waste segregation at source and requested technical guidance from EMB Region 7 to strengthen implementation of environmental laws.
During a March 6 media interview, Archival stated that waste currently stored at the SRP would be removed within days, with operations continuing only until March 15. A small transfer station will remain, but waste will be collected and immediately transported to Aloguinsan. The city has also instructed haulers to identify alternative temporary storage locations.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, chairperson of the council's committee on environment, expressed concern that the SRP site functions more like a dumpsite than a compliant transfer station. He noted unawareness of formal DENR approval and pointed to Mandaluyong City's efficient 1,000-square-meter structure as a model.
City Environment and Natural Resources Office head Editha Peros confirmed ongoing hauling operations at the SRP and said the city issued recommendations to expedite waste removal. The status of the city's application for a concrete, ground-free transfer station similar to Marikina City's facility is still being worked out by the Department of Public Services.
