Stricter waste management system in Cebu City sought

Local

THE WORSENING garbage in Cebu City may soon face tougher rules.

The Cebu City Ecological Solid Waste Management Board (CCESWMB) has formally asked the City Council to amend and update several ordinances on solid waste management. It cites outdated provisions and the growing waste problem in the city.

In a letter dated April 28 and endorsed to the council, the board urged legislative action on nine major proposals aimed at strengthening Cebu City’s waste management system and aligning local policies with national environmental standards.

The proposals include the amendment of three existing ordinances:

Ordinance 1361, which was enacted in 1991, updates provisions on the responsibilities of households, businesses, and institutions in maintaining cleanliness.

Ordinance 2031, to reinforce the city’s “No Segregation, No Collection” policy by adding a merit-demerit system to encourage compliance at the barangay level; and

Ordinance 2343, to make the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan’s solid waste management components mandatory instead of optional.

The board also proposed that solid waste management be legally reframed as an environmental concern rather than solely a public service.

It recommended the creation of a new department that would centralize waste-related functions, including garbage collection, information campaigns, enforcement, and data monitoring.

“These proposed measures are necessary steps to address our growing waste management challenges,” said Ma. Emma Ramas, alternate chairperson of the CCESWMB, in the letter.

Among other proposals is the mandatory implementation of composting by all households and establishments, with the option to outsource to accredited composting service providers.

The board also recommended the introduction of a deposit system for consumer product packaging, requiring manufacturers to include a refundable deposit to encourage container returns.

Additionally, the board wants new buildings and subdivisions to include materials recovery and composting facilities in their permit requirements. Incentives for barangays that reduce landfill-bound waste and for private companies engaging in innovative waste reduction programs were also proposed.

The board’s recommendations came as Cebu City faces worsening pollution in its major waterways.

A recent River Assessment Report by the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) identified household waste, such as detergent sachets, gray water, and organic debris, as a primary contributor to the degradation of rivers, including Lahug, Mahiga, Guadalupe, and Bulacao.

In affected rivers, CCENRO documented widespread dumping of plastic packaging and untreated household wastewater.

Some rivers showed signs of nutrient overload, while others, like the Lahug River, were found littered with non-biodegradable waste near community water sources.

The report noted that although upstream river sections, such as those in Cotcot, remain relatively clean, downstream portions flowing through densely populated barangays are heavily polluted.

The board expressed confidence that the proposed reforms, if enacted, would help Cebu City become a model for effective and sustainable urban waste governance.

The City Council has yet to schedule deliberations on the proposals.(TGP)