Supplier defends doubled costs on waste disposal

Amid scrutiny

CEBU, Philippines — A waste disposal corporation has moved to defend itself amid mounting scrutiny over why its waste processing proposal for Cebu City nearly doubled in cost.

In its October 6 clarification letter to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, Suki Trading Corporation explained that the earlier ?250 million quotation covered only two pyrolysis units paired with manual segregation lines, while the revised P470 million package added two Automatic Garbage Segregation Machines (AGSM), priced at P110 million each.

The firm stressed that the increase was not arbitrary but reflected a shift from labor-intensive sorting to mechanized segregation capable of handling up to 500 tons per day.

“The principal distinction is the method and scale of segregation,” the letter stated, noting that manual setups could process only about 4.16 tons daily under illustrative productivity assumptions, far below Cebu’s 700-ton daily waste stream.

The supplier emphasized that pyrolysis technology differs from incineration, operating under oxygen-limited conditions to convert waste into gas, liquid, and char. It also pledged to implement odor control measures, sanitation protocols, and proper housekeeping to minimize unsanitary conditions.

Mechanization, Suki Trading said, would reduce worker fatigue, direct exposure to mixed waste, and the risk of piled-up unsorted garbage that contributes to odors and pest infestations.

Earlier, the sudden price jump had raised concerns at the City Council.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who had earlier secured a ?250 million quotation from the same supplier, questioned why the figure had nearly doubled after City Hall’s involvement.

“Why did the price increase so much?” he asked, warning of possible anomalies and stressing his duty to defend the original deal.

Archival, for his part, clarified that the proposal did not originate from his office but was submitted after proponents visited a similar facility in Manila.

Meanwhile, Councilor Harry Eran, whose name had earlier been dragged into the controversy but who denied any role in the price increase, has sought to redirect attention toward community discipline in waste disposal while the proposal awaits deliberation.

In a resolution filed before the council, Eran urged residents, households, establishments, and barangays to refrain from dumping garbage into canals, rivers, esteros, drainage systems, and other unauthorized areas.

He cited recent flooding in Cebu City, which was aggravated by garbage buildup near waterways such as the T. Padilla Bridge, and stressed the need to comply with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and other relevant laws.

His measure calls for intensified clearing operations, coordination with barangays to unclog waterways, updated collection schedules, and sustained information campaigns on waste segregation and flood prevention. — /IHM (FREEMAN)