STARTING 2026 City to enforce waste segregation anew

Cebu City is preparing to enforce waste segregation once again, a mandate that has proven challenging to implement despite many years of efforts.

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The Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board (CCSWMB) has recommended to Mayor Nestor Archival that the City Government begin a gradual enforcement of this initiative starting next year.

Archival accepted the proposal but emphasized that enforcement will only occur after a comprehensive public information campaign.

“Ang ato lang, kinahanglan ma inform ang public,” he said, stressing that residents must understand the rules before penalties are imposed.

Segregation of waste has been a requirement since the implementation of Republic Act 9003, known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

In the early 2000s, then-Mayor Tomas Osmeña initiated waste segregation programs. However, he later observed that garbage collectors continued to collect mixed waste, and barangays lacked the necessary facilities to ensure compliance.

His successor, Michael Rama, made efforts to revive the "No Segregation, No Collection" policy, urging barangays to adopt stricter waste management practices.

Yet, the effort to improve waste management was hampered by limited resources, inadequate monitoring, and short-lived awareness campaigns. As a result, most households continued to dispose of their garbage without segregating it.