Teaching a city to segregate

Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival unveiled this week 19 “big-ticket” projects his administration plans to implement this year, while also reporting that 144 projects were accomplished in his first six months in office.

- Atty. Ian Vincent Manticajon

According to a report by The FREEMAN last Thursday, the mayor described these projects as “pillars of the Cebu City 2035 roadmap, designed to make the city leaner, smarter, and more inclusive.”

Among the administration’s priorities is waste segregation and its conversion into fertilizer and other sustainable uses. Earlier this month, the mayor urged residents to strictly follow segregation rules. The City’s “No Segregation, No Collection” policy is mandated by City Ordinance No. 2031, but it has apparently suffered poor compliance for more than two decades. The ordinance requires households to sort their trash into biodegradable, recyclable, non biodegradable, hazardous, and bulky waste, with corresponding penalties for noncompliance.

The Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board recently approved a plan to strictly implement the “No Segregation, No Collection” policy, with city officials agreeing that public education must come before enforcement. The Manila Times quoted the mayor as saying that the city government will first roll out a citywide information and education campaign from January 1 to 15, to prepare residents, barangays, and institutions for full implementation.