Mandaue using temporary trash transfer station

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City government has opened a temporary garbage transfer station in Barangay Umapad to ensure the continued collection of waste following the closure of the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City due to an avalanche.

The temporary facility, located at the Mandaue Green Learning Park (MGLP) in Barangay Umapad, started operations on Saturday, January 10, and will serve as an interim solution while authorities look for an alternative disposal sites for two weeks.

Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano said in an interview yesterday that the use of the MGLP is strictly temporary and meant to address the emergency situation.

“Kani temporary site pa lang ni kani sa Barangay Umapad, kani sa Mandaue Green Learning Park,” Ouano said.

He said the city is continuing talks with haulers and other stakeholders to find a more viable dumping site, as the reopening of the Binaliw landfill remains uncertain.

“For the meantime, wala pa mo-open balik ang Barangay Binaliw sa Cebu City --maybe two weeks, three weeks, or pila pa ni ka buwan,” he said.

Ouano noted that at least five local government units were previously using the Binaliw landfill; Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, and the municipalities of Consolacion and Cordova.

While alternative sites have been offered in Bogo City and Aloguinsan town, Ouano said distance and vehicle conditions make them impractical.

“Pero ingon ana kalayo ang atong mga dump trucks. Uban sa atong garbage trucks dili baya ingon ana ka nindot ang condition, so motaas g’yud ang maintenance cost,” he said.

“Ganahan unta mi og mas duol-duol sa city,” he added.

He said the city intends to limit the use of the transfer station to about two weeks to protect the park.

“Emergency man g’yud ni. Wala man g’yud tay laing malabayan sa basura, mao nga naa g’yud tay temporary location karon,” Ouano said.

To manage waste flow, the city has implemented a scheduled garbage collection system from Monday to Saturday, grouping barangays by cluster.

Residents were also urged to strictly observe proper waste segregation.

Biodegradable waste is being brought to the MGLP, while recyclables are transported to the Guun Corp. facility in Consolacion town.

Ouano acknowledged challenges in garbage collection, noting that trucks can now make fewer trips compared to when the Binaliw landfill was still operational.

“Instead of two to three times sila makalabay sa Binaliw, karon kausa na lang tungod kay naa man silay oras ug schedule per barangay,” he said, citing discussions with Association of Barangay Councils president Councilor Dante Borbajo.

The mayor appealed for public understanding amid the situation.

“Mangayo lang g’yud kog pagsabot sa atong mga kaigsuonan sa Mandaue City. Dili man ni normal times. Kung naay basura nga dili dayon makuha, tungod ni sa mga panghitabo karon,” Ouano said.

Borbajo said scheduling remains the primary challenge for barangays, especially with 27 barangays needing access to the temporary facility.

Based on their initial experience, Borbajo said garbage trucks were only able to dump waste once per day at the MGLP.

“Sa day one namo, kaisa ra g’yud mi nakalabay didto sa MGLP,” he said.

He cited Barangay Canduman as an example, where garbage is stockpiled from afternoon until evening to allow early morning disposal.

Borbajo added that barangays have adjusted their strategies depending on their captains, warning that failure to follow schedules could cause traffic congestion in Barangay Umapad.

Despite the adjustments, Borbajo said daily garbage collection across all barangays remains achievable, although some barangays are still fine-tuning their schedules. — (FREEMAN)