Archival clarifies ‘reopening’ of Inayawan landfill

Local

ALLAYING public concern, Cebu City Mayor Nestor clarified that the long-closed Inayawan landfill is not being reopened for dumping but is only being considered as a temporary waste transfer station.

Archival, in a press conference on Monday, Jan. 26, said the proposal is a stopgap measure as the city runs out of options for where to send its daily waste following the Jan. 8 landslide at the Binaliw landfill that killed 36 workers.

“This is not opening the landfill per se,” Archival said. “It’s a transfer station. DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) is saying they are here to help Cebu City.”

The mayor said any use of Inayawan remains subject to court approval, as the site has been under a standing prohibition since 2016 following a Writ of Kalikasan later upheld by the Supreme Court.

The DENR has said it will seek judicial permission to temporarily lift the ban, but only to allow the site’s use as a transfer facility, not as a dumpsite.

Archival appealed for public understanding that he has been in office for only about 200 days and inherited long-standing waste management problems.

“For the last 20 years, the landfill [landslide] has happened. This is not the time to blame each other but to help each other,” he said.

Cebu City currently generates about 600 tons of garbage daily. Since Binaliw’s closure, the city has been hauling waste to a private landfill in Barangay Polog, Consolacion, under a temporary arrangement that will expire on Feb. 11.

Archival said Consolacion can only accommodate the city’s waste for a limited time, forcing officials to look for interim solutions.

Efforts to divert garbage to nearby towns have so far failed, with Minglanilla and Talisay City rejecting proposals to accept Cebu City’s waste due to capacity, environmental, and public health concerns.

The mayor said hauling garbage to farther sites, such as Aloguinsan, remains an option but would significantly raise costs and logistical challenges, making a transfer station within Cebu City crucial.

“We need a place for a transfer station because hauling directly to far sites would be costly,” Archival said.

He added that the city needs to consolidate waste before transporting it out of Cebu City.

Archival said the city is also implementing measures to reduce waste volume, including shredding, to limit the amount of garbage sent to landfills.

The mayor reiterated that the Binaliw landfill remains closed and cannot be used in any capacity while investigations and cleanup operations continue.

“We cannot use Binaliw because it’s closed,” he said.

DENR Sec. Raphael Lotilla earlier said the agency will proceed with filing a petition with the Supreme Court to allow the temporary use of Inayawan as a transfer station to prevent garbage from piling up in city streets.

With the city facing limited disposal options and rising costs, Archival called for cooperation from residents and stakeholders as Cebu City navigates the crisis.

“This is not the time to argue,” he said. “We need to start doing things right.”(TGP)