The Cebu City government has barely two weeks to prepare for the total closure of the Inayawan Sanitary landfill but Mayor Michael Rama admitted they aren鈥檛 halfway ready.
The city聽 has implemented only聽聽 30 percent of the remedial steps identified by the Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board.
The plan聽 to truck garbage through聽 Mandaue City roads to an alternative dumpsite in Consolacion town remains uncertain, according to Councilor Nida Cabrera.
Instead, the mayor will issue a cessation order to stop the dumping of garbage at the Inaywan landfill effective Nov. 7
Cabrera, Department of Public Services (DPS) head Dionisio Gualiza and landfill manager Randy Navarro met with Mayor Jonas Cortes last Monday to discuss the city鈥檚 plan to use Mandaue roads in the聽 delivery route to Consolacion town.
Cortes聽 said he still needs to聽 consult the聽 Mandaue City Council and聽 Mandaue City鈥檚 traffic management group. Cortes said Mandaue is enforcing its truck ban and plans to make this permanent.
鈥淏ut Mayor Cortes聽 clarified (during our meeting) that the truck ban is not in retaliation for the ban Cebu City is now implementing on the entry of Mandaue City PUIs.聽 They just have their own traffic management problem,鈥� said Cabrera.
Rama wanted to finally close the Inayawan landfill on聽 Nov. 7.聽 But no聽 closure order has been sent yet by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Cebu City聽 needs to start with its landfill remedial plans, a requirement for the issuance of a total closure order by DENR.
Cabrera said an alternative dumpsite,聽 which includes the private Consolacion facility, has to be identified along with a a garbage transfer station. Big trucks have to leased.
Hundreds of scavengers will lose a source of livelihood in Inayawan.
鈥淚t is mandated by law that we take care of the needs of the scavengers,鈥� said Cabrera.