Piles of garbage were found dumped near a cliff in Sitio Dapdap, Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City, alarming residents due to fears of contaminating the creek water used by the community. The illegal dumping site was discovered after residents sought help from Councilor David Tumulak regarding waste from the upper part of the barangay being thrown into the area, with concerns that it could be washed downstream during rain.
Residents Voice Concerns Over Health Risks
A resident who requested anonymity revealed that some families in the area rely on creek water for drinking, heightening their anxiety over health risks and contamination. During Tumulak's inspection of the site, he found various types of garbage thrown near the edge of the slope. The waste included paper, plastic, cardboard, food containers, soil, leaves, cut tree branches, and electrical wires.
Tumulak also encountered trucks from an electric company allegedly carrying cut branches to the site for disposal. He later learned that even a barangay truck was reportedly dumping garbage in the area.
Cleanup and Investigation
After the inspection, a bulldozer was sent to cover part of the waste with soil, while six trucks responded to haul the garbage away from the area. The councilor questioned why illegal dumping continued despite the presence of a temporary waste transfer station at the South Road Properties (SRP). He said the issue has been brought to the Department of Public Services (DPS) and plans to coordinate with the barangay captain regarding the alleged dumping near the cliff.
Tumulak urged barangay officials to take responsibility for proper waste management within their community. "It would be better if this stops and people stop dumping here. We do not know if the barangay may already be running out of fuel to transport garbage to the transfer station and instead chooses to dump it near the cliff. That is not good," he said. He added that if the barangay lacks fuel or equipment for hauling, officials should coordinate with the DPS for assistance.
Ongoing Garbage Crisis in Cebu City
This incident comes as Cebu City continues to grapple with a garbage problem following the closure of the Binaliw landfill due to a trash slide on January 8 that claimed 36 lives. Since then, the city has relied on temporary waste transfer operations at the SRP while hauling garbage to landfills outside Cebu City, including Aloguinsan, where the contract has also ended.
The ongoing garbage crisis has resulted in repeated complaints about illegal dumping, garbage piles, and environmental issues in several parts of the city. In a related development, Mayor Nestor Archival announced that the city has received a go-signal from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 7 to resume limited dumping at the Binaliw landfill after the operator reportedly complied with required remedies.
The DENR previously lifted the cease-and-desist order against the landfill partially, allowing operations only within a separate "engineered interim cell" and not in the area affected by the deadly trash slide. Archival revealed that the city is currently reviewing safety validations and technical concerns raised by the City Council before fully resuming dumping at the facility.
