CEBU CITY MAKES HEADWAY WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

CEBU CITY MAKES HEADWAY WITH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, has been in force for more than twenty-five years. Yet despite the passage of time, many local government units (LGUs) have still failed to establish fully compliant Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) as required by law.

This raises an important question: Are we very good at making laws but not very good at implementing them?

The recent initiatives of Cebu City suggest that the answer does not have to be that way.

Under the leadership of Mayor Nestor Archival, Cebu City has launched its Eco Station-SRP and Materials Recovery Festival, demonstrating that solid waste management need not be complicated, expensive, or dependent on imported technology. In fact, the city is proving that practical solutions are already available.

To put it simply, an MRF does not require rocket science. It mainly needs segregation, shredding, composting, recycling, and community participation. Even small barangays can establish one.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the Cebu City program is its use of locally manufactured shredders produced by RU Foundry, Inc. of Bacolod City, headed by its President, Mr. Ramon Uy, Sr.. According to Mr. Uy, these machines are capable of reducing the volume of organic waste by as much as 60 to 70 percent. Organic wastes from public markets, particularly discarded fruits and vegetables, are shredded and then converted into compost with the help of African Night Crawler earthworms.

What is remarkable is that these shredders were not imported. They were fabricated locally by Filipino engineers and technicians. This proves that the challenge is not really technology. Neither is it primarily a problem of money.

The challenge is leadership and implementation.

Mayor Archival has also announced plans to integrate Black Soldier Fly (BSF) production into the city's waste management system. The larvae can be used as protein-rich feed for poultry and fish production, creating another income-generating activity while reducing waste.

Even plastic waste will not go to waste. Shredded plastics can be sold to cement plants as alternative fuel, reducing both disposal costs and fossil fuel consumption.

According to environmental studies, biodegradable waste typically accounts for more than half of municipal solid waste generated in Philippine cities. If properly composted rather than dumped in landfills, these wastes can significantly reduce methane emissions, one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to climate change.

This is precisely what Republic Act No. 9003 envisioned when it required every barangay or cluster of barangays to establish MRFs. The law mandates facilities for sorting, recycling, and composting so that only residual wastes end up in sanitary landfills.

Unfortunately, many LGUs continue to treat garbage collection as the solution when it is merely the first step. The real solution lies in waste reduction, resource recovery, and recycling.

The Cebu City experience should serve as a wake-up call for other local governments. If Cebu can do it, why can't others?

Perhaps what we need is not another law. We already have one of the best solid waste management laws in Asia. What we need are more local leaders willing to implement it.

I therefore suggest that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the League of Cities and Municipalities actively promote the Cebu model nationwide. Better yet, they should organize study tours so that local officials can see for themselves that MRFs are practical, affordable, and achievable.

The garbage problem is not impossible to solve.

Cebu City is proving that where there is political will, there is a way.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/07-07-2027

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