Landfill project in Binaliw junked

The Cebu City Council has junked the application of ARN Builders, Inc. to develop a 1.7hectare property in the mountain barangay of Binaliw into a central material facility and sanitary landfill.

It was Vice Mayor Edgar Labella who broke an 8-8 tie among the councilors.

“The presiding officer is not adverse to any landfill for as long as it complies with the environmental concerns because we will be answerable of the generations to come to our children, children’s children…The chair would vote on the negative,” Labella said.

Those who voted in favor of the landfill were Councilors Alvin Arcilla, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Jerry Guardo, Margarita Osmeña, Joy Augustus Young, Sisinio Andales, Mary Ann Delos Santos, and David Tumulak.

The councilors who voted against it were Jose Daluz III, Jocelyn Pesquera, Eduardo Rama Jr., Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., Joel Garganera, Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr., Raymond Alvin Garcia and Phillip Zafra.

All those who voted against the project, Labella included, are members of the opposition block.

Daluz said that even if ARN Builders, Inc. complied with all the requirements, he does not want to gamble the city's future by allowing it to build the facility without assurance the same would be successful.

During an executive session, ARN reportedly admitted that this will be its first time to establish a facility that would treat garbage.

“It was admitted that they don't have the track record. When we asked the expert that was present here, they also admitted that this is the first time. Although, they have a track record on other big industry activities that is successful but this kind of activity, this is their first time,” Daluz said.

He said another public hearing should be conducted so that residents of Binaliw's neighboring barangays can speak their mind about the proposal.

“If it is true that 92 percent is reusable, that will be a welcome use for us but we have also to ask the surrounding barangays because they will be the ones directly affected,” Daluz said during the Council's session.

Arcilla said the city's zoning board has already published the project in the newspaper precisely so the public will be informed about it. He said holding another public hearing will paint a bad image on the part of the city because the application has long been standing.

The Council held two executive sessions when ARN builder's special use application was presented to the Council on January 16, 2018.

Arcilla had argued that the technology ARN will use in treating the garbage is approved by the International Standard Organization (ISO).

“According to them, all the equipment they are going to buy is ISO, it passed ISO. For me, as of now, (there is) nothing to worry if we are going to approve because it's only 1.7 hectare,” he said.

He also said he himself would ask his fellow councilors to issue a cease and desist order against ARN should the project violate environmental and sanitary laws.

“For me, this type of landfill is not an open dump site. It's not like the one in Consolacion nga lungag, huwad lang. Kini siya, there is a process,” Arcilla said.

Garganera questioned ARN's claim that the facility can process up to 92 percent of the city's trash per day.

“When we talk about processing, 92 percent, that is not true. We need a waste to energy to process that. If only the proponent, if only the city has been transparent in this particular project,” he said.

Garganera also asked for “transparency,” contending that when ARN filed an application, it reportedly mentioned only a Material Recovery Facility and not a sanitary landfill.

With the vote, Gabuya called opposition councilors as "anti-investors".

"They are anti investors ... AR N applied it one year ago, they complied all the necessary requirements including Environmental Compliance Certificate, public hearing and others only to be disapproved by the Council… it's unfair to them," he said.