City's WTE project faces new challenge

The longstanding plan to build a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) facility in Cebu City faces another three-year delay following strong opposition from residents during public hearings in Barangay Guba and neighboring areas.

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In a press conference yesterday, Councilor Joel Garganera revisited the project's timeline, tracing its roots back to the closure of the Inayawan Landfill in 2011 under then mayor Michael Rama. The landfill was reopened in 2016 but was permanently shut down after the Supreme Court upheld a Writ of Kalikasan filed by Garganera, citing “serious health risks” to nearby residents.

Currently, Cebu City’s waste is being hauled to the privately operated Binaliw Landfill, which Garganera said has committed violations, including groundwater contamination confirmed by tests conducted by San Carlos University. To address this, he said the city decided to mirror Bangkok’s WTE model.

On September 22, 2022, Rama, representing the city, signed a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) and issued a Notice of Award to New Sky for the construction of the WTE facility.

Garganera said WTE plants, unlike dumpsites that emit foul odors and attract pests, “burn waste in a controlled manner, reducing trash volume by up to 90 percent while generating electricity.”