Guba officials in wait-and-see mode on proposed WTE facility

Local

THE debate over a proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility in Barangay Guba, Cebu City is heating up, but local officials say they’re not choosing sides until all the facts are in.

Barangay Captain Orland Herrera said that the council has not made any move to either support or oppose the controversial project, pending formal consultations with national agencies.

“For now, we can’t object yet because we have to go through the proper process,” Herrera told reporters on Wednesday, October 15. “Wala pa man naka-present si DOH (Department of Health) ug si DENR ( Department of Environment and Natural Resources), unya who are we to decide nga wala pa man sila makasulti. So sa pagka karon, hanging pa gyud mi.”

He said the project did not come from the barangay itself, which is why officials are waiting for guidance from the DOH and DENR.

“We have to listen to all sides, especially the right agencies,” he said. “The project is not ours. It’s from the city. Our role is to make sure people are heard.”

Herrera admitted that Guba’s council is split on the issue. Some members are ready to reject the project, while others prefer to wait for the next public hearing, expected around October 25 or 26, where DOH and DENR officials are set to attend.

He also pointed out that a petition drive reportedly led by an incumbent city councilor caught them off guard since it was done without coordination with the barangay.

“Mao na among gikahibungan kay maayo kaayo mo-present nga incumbent councilor, pero wala may coordination sa barangay,” Herrera said.

As of now, Guba has not received any official request for endorsement or opposition.

During the first public hearing last month, several residents’ questions went unanswered because health and environment officials were not present, he added.

“Naay mga pangutana wala natubag kay walay DOH, walay DENR,” Herrera said.

Some residents, meanwhile, fear that the project could bring more harm than good.

“Isip lumulopyo sa Guba, bahin ana nga basura nga ibutang sa among baryo, pero kay city government man na nga project, wala mi mahimo. Pero ako, dili gyud ko ganahan ana,” said 54-year-old resident Alma Magdadaro.

She compared it to the city’s past landfill experience in Binaliw.

“Pareha gud ana sa Binaliw, baho kaayo sa tanan. Inag hatod, daghan kaayo mahagbong, unya daghan langaw, delikado sa mga bata,” she said.

Magdadaro added that residents still lack clear information about the project’s purpose.

“Wala pa gyud mi kasabot ana kay wala man ko sa public hearing ato nila. [Pero] andam ra mi maminaw ug naay kahigayonan, mutambong raman mi,” she said.

Herrera clarified that the WTE facility remains a concept and not yet an approved project.

“All are presentations. Wala pay document. Proposal pa. Wala pod sila mangayo ug resolution from the council,” he said. “Ang akong gihulat gyud is the meeting with the national agencies concerning sa health, environment, and livelihood.”

The plant is proposed to rise on a seven-hectare property in Lower Agnawi, Guba, and will be funded by private firm New Sky Energy through a joint venture with the Cebu City Government.

Mayor Nestor Archival said the city government will not proceed without following the necessary steps and securing the proper permits.

“It’s not a formal protest. Maghimo sila ug formal unsay ilang na come up sa ilang meeting. Naa may public hearing, gahulat nalang sad ko ana,” Archival said. “Usa sa mga importante nga documents kay ang ECC man.

Kung walay ECC, unsaon pag-proceed? Ang usa sa need sa ECC kay council resolution aron makahatag sila. Exactly. We must go through the process.”

Archival emphasized that the project cannot proceed without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from the DENR, which ensures it meets environmental and safety standards.

First introduced in 2022 under a Joint Venture Agreement between then-mayor Michael Rama and New Sky Energy, the WTE project aims to reduce landfill dependence by converting waste into energy.(TGP)