Cebu City 30% done on prep for landfill rehab

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City government is still at 30 percent done with the preparations for the closure and rehabilitation plan of the controversial 15-hectare landfill in Barangay Inayawan.

Former councilor Nida Cabrera told The FREEMAN yesterday that there are some factors to be considered for the completion of the closure and rehabilitation plan of the landfill.

These factors include the pending approval of the P600-million rehabilitation budget proposal, public biddings to be conducted for the alternative landfill, and terms and conditions of concerned local government units as well as contracts to be prepared and signed, among others.

Cabrera said if the proposed budget will be approved, the closure and rehabilitation plan will be realized.  Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants to be oriented on the technicalities of the plan before he will comment.

"I have to get an explanation of that because I am not familiar more or less of what has to be done in terms of cost and physical changes," he said yesterday.

Like Cabrera, Osmeña also said that all plans for the landfill will be realized if they got the council's nod for the P600 million.

 "The budget is there in council, I cannot do anything until I can have the budget…I cannot produce something out of nothing," he added.

Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman on the city's environment committee said Department of Public Servi-ces Head, Roberto Cabarrubias failed to establish the detailed purpose of the proposed budget during the budget hearing.

According to Cabrera, City Planning Office is now doing the breakdown of the P600 million after the council asked its comprehensive purpose.

On October 24, Osmeña asked the Court of Appeals to give the city government until January 1 to look for an alternative landfill and for its rehabilitation plan.

Meanwhile, the city government initially had an initial talk with the existing landfill operators in the province to study where the city can temporarily dispose its garbage.

Cabrera said the city is considering Talisay City, Naga City and Aloguinsan town, adding that she thinks the one in Aloguinsan is the most suitable.

If the city decides on this, the city government will use container vans with a capacity to carry at least 25 tons of garbage to be disposed in Aloguinsan.

Cabrera said that the establishment of composting facilities in some barangays has helped to decrease the volume of garbage.

Record shows that starting from the month of October the collected garbage has decreased from 800 tons a day to 500 tons total for these barangays, namely Sto. Niño, Mabolo, Talamban, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Labangon, Cogon Pardo, Tisa, Luz, Kamagayan, Pasil and Buhisan.

The government's next target is to establish composting facilities in Suba and Inayawan that will accommodate 10 tons of biodegradable waste.  (FREEMAN)