5th Part
5th Part
5th Part
2 Communication
Telecommunications
The past five years also saw the rapid growth of the cable television industry in
the Metro Cebu area.
As of June 2000, the data indicated that the existing switching capacity installed
in the City has a total of 123,378 telephone lines. Of the said total, there were
only 57,485 telephone subscribers/connections both residential and business
establishments listed. PLDT accounts for more than 98% of the total capacity
and 99% of the total telephone subscribers in Cebu City. A greater number of
individuals favor using cellular mobile phones because of convenience and
accessibility.
Postal Communications
As of 2000, the City of Cebu has a total number of fifteen (15) post offices. The
city’s postal density (ratio of population to post office) is placed at one post/
barangay office for every 40,546 persons. This does not meet the standard of
one post office for every 30,000 inhabitants and is also below the national figure
of 1:21,448. The City has 89 registered mail carriers making the mail carrier to
population ratio of 1:6.834.
Slow mailing time is still evident in the rural areas. This is emanating from the
fact that most of the hinterland barangays in the city still do not have postal
services.
Telecommunications
In 1993, President Fidel V. Ramos issued two crucial Executive Orders which
effectively accelerated the development of telecommunications in the country;
b. Executive Order No. 109, on the other hand, seeks to improve the provision of
local exchange carriers (LEC) service by requiring cellular mobile telephone
service (CMTS) and international gateway facility (IGF) operators to cross-
subsidize local exchange services. CMTS and IGF operators were required to
roll out some 400,000 and 300,000 telephone lines, respectively, in service
areas assigned to them.
The entry of ISLACOM has minimized the dominance of PLDT in the Region’s
basic telephone service industry. In 1993, PLDT accounted for 90 percent of
the region’s telephone lines. As of June 1998, while PLDT was still the leading
local exchange service operator, its share in total telephone lines has
diminished to 59 percent. ISLACOM accounted for 32 percent while the rest of
the service providers shared the remaining 9 percent.
ISLACOM was integrated with Globe Telecommunication and PLDT with Smart
Telecommunications. These two dominates the telecom industry in the country.
Recently, the entry of SUN Telecommunications broadens the CTMS and IGF
operations nationwide.
Postal Communications
The problem of delivering postal services to the people is still manifested with
the inadequacy of post office buildings and barangay postal centers. The
Philippine Postal Corporation should institute measures to ensure the efficient
delivery of mails. Immediate processing of incoming and outgoing mails to
meet the cut-off time for delivery should be insured. New mail vans should be
given to distribution and sub-distribution centers for faster movement of mails.
Also motorcycles should be distributed to post offices which have large
volumes of mails.
Telecommunications
The major issue of the telecommunications sector, the public has been airing is
the delayed full interconnection of the telecom companies that has affected many
business transactions and if this issue is not resolved soon, the Philippines will be
again at the bottom of the list of our neighboring countries in terms of global
access and hence investment opportunities and sustenance will be affected.
Telephone System in All Barangays shall have the following set up;
Postal Communications
The only other concern that makes the postal system inefficient is the incorrect,
unupdated house postal numbers and unnumbered houses and/or
establishments.
Constraints
Putting up telephone lines in the upland areas using concrete poles and copper
wires is costly. That is why telephone companies opt to initially put public phone
stations with a single line or two to serve the people in these areas. This is also
true to postal services. The absence of transport infrastructure in the upland
areas will also delay the delivery of services to the people.
It is recognized that telecom companies in the Philippines are not yet fully
interconnected despite the two Executive Orders that prescribes the compulsory
interconnection of public telecommunication carriers in order to create a
universally accessible and fully integrated nationwide telecommunication
network, If we want to establish immediate contact with the outside world using
out present telecom facilities, the City government must lobby for the full
implementation of the aforementioned Executive Orders.
Potentials
The increase in the number of telecommunications companies fighting to serve
the people has the latter as the beneficiary of more improved services.
The need to develop and modernize the city’s telecommunication facilities to the
state-of-the-art class will be a good preparation for the intended integration of
general communications in Metro Cebu. This can further promote the dispersal
of industries, commerce and businesses through fast, easy and accurate access
of vital information in a competitive and fast-tracked society.
Sectoral Vision
By the year 2020, Cebu City will have established telecommunications facilities
comparable to developed countries in the world
Sectoral Mission
Sectoral Objectives
Universalization
Executive Orders No. 59 and 109 were issued to attain Government’s goal of
providing access of both urban and rural areas to reliable and affordable basic
and other telecommunications services. The realization of this goal essentially
involves expanding the coverage of basic telephone services, promoting
regionwide and nationwide coverage of cellular mobile telephone service and
other non-basic telecommunications service and establishing telegraph and
telegraphic transfer stations in unserved areas.
Republic Act 7925 was enacted, known as the Telecom Policy Development that
encourages private sector participation.
Government regards the delivery of mails as a basic public utility. Providing
universal access to this service requires the establishment of barangay post
offices in all barangays to provide at least ordinary mail service. Equally
important is harnessing the capability and participation of private messengerial
service providers in the overall postal delivery network.
Modernization
Modernizing postal services, on the other hand, relies on the three-fold strategy
of mechanization, motorization and variety. Mechanization simply means that the
use of machines in mail handling should already replace the current manual
process. Motorization mail delivery not only improves efficiency but also partly
addresses the pervasive problem of lack of mail carriers especially at the
barangay level. Variety means offering a wide range of postal services and
products is imperative to meet the fast-changing needs of customers. Among the
postal services and products that are widely accepted as part of the postal
business are ordinary mail, registered mail, express mail, fax mail, lock-box
service, parcel service, money order, philately, postal identity card, aerogramme,
bulk pre-sorted mail, charge account, postal savings bank, etc.
Integration
Facilitation
Essentially this means the Local Chief Executive must take a firm, active and
impartial role in resolving bottlenecks in project implementation. This involves
facilitating the issuance of necessary permits to telecommunication entities
granted congressional franchise to operate their facilities. It has been shown
time and again that project implementation is more expeditious if coordinated with
local governments.
.3 Water Supply
Water Supply Sector covers the water produced by water systems, their
treatment, transmission and distribution to the different consumers namely:
domestic, commercial, industrial and institutional. Classification of water supply
systems generally follow the HLURB planning standard:
For Cebu City, water supply is the responsibility of the Metro Cebu Water District.
MCWD was organized under PD 198 with a mandate to develop both water
supply and sewerage systems within the boundaries of Metro Cebu. The
coverage of the water district includes the three cities of Cebu, Mandaue and
Lapu-lapu and the five municipalities of Talisay, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela
and Cordova
Assessment of Performance
Water supply for Metro Cebu comes from groundwater and surface water
sources. Groundwater sources had increased to 97 wells as of December 1999
with an annual production capacity of 38.9 million cu.m. that accounts for 83% of
the total supply. Surface water comes from Buhisan Dam with an annual
production of 9.3 million cu.m. Water production in 1999 was recorded at 44.56
million cu.m. or an average monthly and daily production of 3.71 million cu.m.
and 122,000 cu.m., respectively.
An additional 33,000 cu.m. per day was realized when the Mananga Phase I
project was completed. This project includes the operationalization of 15 wells
and pumping stations, diversion weir, sedimentation and infiltration facilities.
Water demand for Cebu City alone in 1999 was 119,092 cu.m. pd, of which
sixteen percent was commercial/industrial demand. The total number of service
connections increased by 8,378 from 66,758 in 1998 to 75,136 in 1999.
Water Consumption
Per capita water consumption in Cebu City is 220 liters per day (lpd), which is
based on total consumption and total number of service connections, much
higher than the planning standard average of 110 liters per day, for level 3
systems. Per capita water consumption is expected to increase to 190 lpd and
210 lpd in year 2000 and 2010, respectively.
Per capita consumption for communal faucet (level 2) is 35 lpd and 34 lpd for
1999.
Percent of demand served with water in Cebu City in 1999 was thirty nine
percent. The ideal coverage is 100% or all households in Cebu City should be
provided with water for drinking and domestic consumption. Table 2.13.3.03
shows the percent of households that were served with water in 1998 in Cebu
City, by source/system: Level 1 = 24%; Level 2 = 34.1% and Level 3 = 39.5%.
Water truck is used to deliver potable water to elevated areas in Metro Cebu,
which could not be reached by MCWD's distribution system. Communal Water
Associations (CWAs) with a range of 30 to 60 low-income households were
organized by MCWD to collectively manage maintain a communal water system.
A total of are 220 CWAs were organized since it was started by MCWD in 1980s.
The actual supply of water is way below the water demand. The current water
demand for Metro Cebu is 261,000 cumpd and is expected to double in 2015.
Even at present, water supply is no longer sufficient to meet the demand even of
Metro Cebu.
Systems Recovery Rate (SRR) went up to 62.41% in 1999 from 61.73% in 1998.
Water leakage in old and dilapidated pipes, still exists and these have contributed
to the non-revenue water.
The distribution of water supply in the hillyland barangays or areas with higher
elevations cannot be satisfied because of higher development cost and lesser
consumer demand.
Table No.2.13.3. 1
Water Service Connections andPopulation Served
By Coverage Area, Metro Cebu, CY 1997 & 1998
Number of Percent of
MCWD Programs
- BWSO's "Tubig Project" for different water systems (spring box, water tank,
water catchment/collector, earth dam, reservoirs and water delivery trucks.
Barangay Concerns
During the series of barangay consultations conducted by the team, the following
are the problems on water supply as aired by the barangay officials and folks:
The presence of leaking pipes and closure of some of the water sources are
the main causes of the lack of water supply and water contamination.
Environmental Concerns
Constraints
Potentials
Some 410 water sources were identified in the 20 upland barangays of Cebu City
and many more in the entire province (WRC, 1996 water resources inventory).
Almost all of the residential zones in the city's urban barangays are
provided with Level III connections.
The following average annual growth rate (AAGR) assumptions, for water
supply and water demand of the whole water district, were used:
AAGRs for Water Supply: 2000-2005 = 1.0%
2003-onward years = 5.7%
d) Water Supply and Demand Projections 1999 & Selected Onward Years.
Sectoral Vision
Water supply in Cebu City will be enough to meet the needs of its people as
well as the requirements of the industries. By then, eighty five percent of the
households are provided with water and majority of the population will be
conscious of conservation, protection and proper utilization of the region's
water resources.
Sectoral Mission
Sectoral Objectives
a) Source Development
The water utility will continue its exploration and development activities aimed
at the preservation and sustainability of the water resources. The
development of water resources shall focus on new sources other than the
coastal aquifer and shall be outside of the over-pumped areas.
The other alternative source is the recycling process, where the cost is very
prohibitive at this time except that the level of recycling can be up to industrial
and/or domestic use.
The City has been a recipient recently of an unsolicited offer from a private
group to treat actually the City’s wastewater initially but has upgraded their
proposal to the production of industrial and/or non-potable water. While the
project has been approved in principle at the RDC level, the proposal have to
revised to take into consideration the updating to produce non potable water.
This is also detailed under the Environmental Management Sector.
All of the projects shall be supported by the City Government and MCWD as
the mandated entity for water supply and sewerage sysyems.
c) Public-Private Partnership
The participation of the Private Sector in the provision of the basic needs of
people such as water supply is the only practical solution considering that
Government has limited money to fund so many development projects
needed to alleviate the living conditions of its people.
BOT schemes notably the unsolicited proposal may look good on paper, but it
has been a failure in most projects implemented in the Philippines including
the Mananga II Dam project and only very few projects have really succeed
under the scheme. This is because of the many requirements that some
Government officials wanted to squeeze from the BOT proponents and/or
who do not fully understand the basic BOT law. BOT projects of the
unsolicited scheme normally take so much time because Government has
practically no control over the private proponents on dates to submit
deliverables or whether will really pursue the project or not.
d) Modernization
The City therefore should monitor the progress of the project since this
will answer the water demand of Metro Cebu up to 15 to 20% bringing to
60% the total served demand. Unless these materialize, the development
of Cebu will always be constrained by water supply.
The City should talk with MCWD to hasten the implementation of the
project since the upgrading and/or expansion of the distribution system to
accommodate all the water from any of the proposed supply projects
should be installed prior to the completion of the “water source” projects,
and most importantly to reduce the existing high systems losses.
5. Non-conventional sources
.4 Power Supply
Electric power industry in the region includes the generation of electricity and bulk
transmission by the National Power Corporation (NPC) from different energy
sources, and distribution to areas with minor or no power generation by the
National Electrification Administration (NEA) cooperatives and other utilities.
Power utilities are generally dependent on four traditional energy sources, which
are classified as geothermal, diesel, coal thermal and hydro.
The total installed system capacity of the Regional Power grid as of June, 1999 is
1,189.8 megawatts commissioned in 30 different generating units. However, the
total system could only account for a capability of 1,020.2 megawatts dependable
power or about 85.7% of the declared capacity due to various rehabilitation and
maintenance works done on some of the units.
Power supply in Cebu, including the City of Cebu and the four other component
cities is being generated by National Power Corporation, CEBECO (12MW for
Toledo), VECO (75 MW) CPPC-EAUC. These are being distributed through
various power distribution utilities. Those in the outlying municipalities within the
Cebu mainland, power is being distributed by Cebu Electric Cooperatives I, II, &
III. In the island municipalities, power is being supplied by NNPC Strategic
Power Utilities Group) (SPUG) and distributed by BANELCO, for Bantayan Island
and CIELCO for Camotes Island. On the other hand, power in Metro Cebu is
being distributed by two private utilities, the Visayan Electric Company (VECO)
for Cebu City and nearby municipalities and the Mactan Electric Company
(MECO) for the island of Mactan.
Assessment of Performance
By the end of 1998, 73.58% or 113,339 residential households in Cebu City were
served with electricity, an increase of 16,400 households from the 1994 figure.
This translates to a total of 75 barangays now enjoying access to electricity or
93.75% coverage of the potential number of barangays.
In Cebu City’s North District, all the hinterland barangays have access to
electricity.
In the City’s South District, barangays Buot-Taop, Pamutan, Tabunan and Tagbao
also do not have access to electricity up to the present. On the other hand,
commercial and industrial establishments in the city have their share of 11,237
and 405 customers respectively while others not specified otherwise comprises
only of 293 customers.
The total coincident peak demand for power in the VECO Franchise Area is
observed to be 217 MW. Table 2.13.4.01 shows the Power Consumption and
Table 2.13.4.02 the Number of Customers in Cebu City from 1994-1998.
Table 2.13.4.1
Energy Sales and Number of Customer
Actual, 1990-1999
YEAR RESIDENTIAL GENERAL GENERAL BULK WHOLESALE OTHERS
SERVICES POWER POWER POWER
Table 2.13.4.2
Projected 2000-2004 Energy Sales and Number of Customer
YEAR RESIDENTIAL GENERAL GENERAL BULK WHOLESALE OTHERS
SERVICES POWER POWER POWER
Table. 2.13.4.3
Energy Sales and Number of Customers
Actual Data
YEAR RESIDEN- GENERAL GENERAL BULK WHOLESALE OTHERS
TIAL SERVICES POWER POWER POWER
Source:
VECO
Source: VECO
The reliability and efficiency of the major generating plants has greatly improved
through the operation by the private sector of three power plants. One such
power plant is being run by the Toledo Power Corporation, another one by Salcon
and the third is by VECO themselves at their Ermita Plant. East Asia Utilities
Corporation is another IPP Serving Mactan Island for MEPZA.
The Visayas Grid has greatly improved with the accomplishments of major
projects by the Napocor during the 1994-1998 implementation period. It include
among others, the following:
The primary concern, over long term and up to the planning horizon for power,
shall be addressed towards the development of alternative energy sources.
Energy sources such as the geothermal potential reserves in Leyte and Negros
Occidental have the greatest potentials to meet the Region’s energy
requirements. Optimum and effective utilization of Cebu’s coal sources can also
augment the region’s generating capacity. Their development will therefore be
vigorously promoted and pursued.
It is envisioned that at the end of the planning stringing of power distribution lines
will no longer be allowed especially in the urban areas of the City. Instead, it will
be integrated with other utilities in an underground system, which is also a major
future undertaking of the City
There is an immediate concern for power development specifically during the first
five years of the planning period to meet the power requirements of the South
Reclamation Project (SRP), the Cebu Commercial and Business Complex at the
old Lahug airport and for the various commercial and industrial complexes that
are earmarked for implementation during the first decade of the new millennium.
Cebu is already interconnected in November 1997 to Leyte and almost all the
major island grids in the Visayas. The ultimate objective of the power sector is to
interconnect all provincial and island grids to the Mindanao in 2004 to 2005. The
Luzon grid is already interconnected with the Visayas grid in August 1998.
Rural Electrification
Constraints
Electricity tariffs in Cebu City are among the highest in the Philippines,
affecting the City’s industrial competitiveness and hurting low-income
consumers. High tariffs are attributed to the structural and administrative
deficiencies both in generation and distribution sector. NPC’s structure in the
past as highly integrated – vertically and horizontally – state owned monopoly
is seen as inadequate to provide incentives for efficiency and prevent market
competition. The highly fragmented distribution sector leads to high system
losses, both technical and non-technical, and exorbitant power cost.
Except for geothermal energy, the Region is not geologically endowed with
other commercial energy resources such as large-scale hydro. Coal on the
other hand, still suffers from poor quality and under-investment.
Potentials
New and renewable energy (NRE) resources abound in the Region. While
technologies for large-scale and efficient use of these resources are still
expensive, there are other overriding reasons for pursuing the use of these
technologies. Apart from broadening the Region’s energy resource base with
an indigenous and environmentally desirable option, NRE technologies offer a
great potential, if not the only means of electrifying remote and marginalized
areas.
Market prices can be adjusted to account for externalities, e.g. energy supply to
depressed communities which can be considered as “public good” and hence can
be financed through taxes or government assistance subsidies can be applied on
a take off basis (social fund portion of electricity tariff).
Sectoral Vision
By 2020, Cebu City shall have affordable and highly reliable electric service.
Sectoral Objectives
o Provide and distribute an affordable and reliable electric service to all consumers
in the Region.
Source Development
Integration
Restructuring
Expansion
Complete the interconnection of the Visayas Island grid to the entire country by
2007.
Water resources in Metro Cebu have both physical and hydrological limitations in
the catchment area. MCWD estimates show that about 84 percent of the existing
water supply for Metro Cebu is sourced from groundwater, primarily from the
coastal aquifer. This constitutes about 280,000 m3 per day of water extracted by
MCWD and private well owners combined. At the present situation this source is
already experiencing contamination from domestic sewage and from seawater
intrusion.
There are other sources of water that are not yet developed because their
development requires a substantial amount of money and both the Local
Government and the National Government could not afford the amount at this time.
It is vital therefore that water resources development should continue. Managing
what is distributed to the community through water conservation programs are key
components for sustainable development. Hence, appropriate planning for water
resource development sources protection and the corresponding water distribution
systems are deemed very important.
Water resource and its development is under the control and management of
National Water Resources Board (NWRB), created through executive order 124-A,
signed on July 22, 1987. NWRB is responsible for coordinating and integrating all
activities related to water resources development and management. It formulates
policies, evaluates and coordinates water resources programs, regulates and
controls the utilization, exploitation, development and conservation of the country’s
water resources. It also regulates the operations of water utilities. Specifically, it is
tasked to issue water permits to various water users including water districts and
water bottling companies.
The operation and distribution of water in Metro Cebu area is given to the Metro
Cebu Water District (MCWD), a quasi-public corporation organized under
Presidential Decree 198. It is tasked to acquire, install, operate, maintain and
improve water supply and distribution systems for domestic, industrial and
municipal uses of residents within the boundaries of its coverage district, that is
Metro Cebu.
Other agencies, which have concern over waterworks development are the Local
Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), established through Executive Order No. 52
in 1986 and the Provincial Waterworks and Development Task Force (PWDTF).
One of the unique functions of LWUA is that it provides funds (through lending) to
LGUs for water development projects while PWDTF provides the technical and
engineering assistance for water development in the Province.
Assessment of Performance
The combined water supply source in Metro Cebu, including those that can be
derived from the four watershed areas of Mananga, Kotkot, Lusaran and Buhisan is
estimated to be about 550,000 m3 per day. However, due to systems losses,
ecological factors and other interventions, the actual available volume that reaches
the homes of the Cebuanos is much less.
With the present population and economic growth, it is estimated that by year 2015
the total water demand for Metro Cebu will equal the water potential. Without
proper water management and monitoring combined with relentless efforts to
develop alternative sources, there will be groundwater mining that will ultimately
result to depletion of the groundwater source and contamination due to saltwater
intrusion.
There are numerous potential water sources outside the Metro Cebu area (Carmen
and Sogod, in the north and Badian and Argao in the south) but extensive studies
have yet to be conducted on these areas to establish its economic viability. In the
past decade, several groups have undertaken studies and assessments in the
hope to supply Metro Cebu and the Province with water until up to the present.
It has to be noted however, that the reliability of any water source as to quality and
quantity will depend on the integrity of the watershed areas and/or recharge areas.
The planning therefore shall include strategies and programs to ensure the
management and protection of the watersheds.
There are two main issues associated with water resources, namely: water quantity
and water quality. These two issues are interrelated and are affected by economic
development. Severity of the impact on development depends on the degree of
importance these issues are considered in any development planning and actual
implementation.
1. Increasing population
2. Watershed conditions (vegetation cover, erosion, and other activities etc.)
3. Water discharges in the urban areas
4. Overpumping near the coastal areas resulting to seawater intrusion
The issue on water quality is a serious concern, not only in Cebu City but in any
city and/or municipality outside Cebu. The sources of contamination must be
properly identified and addressed by appropriate agencies tasked to monitor and
control them. Studies showed that the main sources of water contamination are
discharges from domestic sewage, waste generated from establishments, heavy
metals and other toxic substances from industries, seawater intrusion, pesticide
and fertilizer from agricultural activities and many more.
Results of water quality tests conducted by the Water Resources Center (WRC) on
springs and wells in the mountain barangays of Cebu City also showed
contamination from human and animal waste. These would indicate how extensive
the contamination of microbiological organism from human waste would be.
It has been reported that the cause of seawater intrusion is overpumping, and
these could only be addressed if people have other cheaper alternative sources
and stricter and efficient monitoring activity be followed by MCWD and the
Government. To check and control pumping by private individuals and/or firms
maybe another alternative to ensure consistency not only in implementation but
also in monitoring results.
The most basic but readily easy to forget solution of the water supply problem is
the protection of watersheds and catalyzing the recharging of the acquifiers
through planting of trees and vegetations. At the present, while some sectors of the
community are working hard for the achievement of the above, some pure
development oriented groups with little care for the environment, do the opposite.
The other evident factor that have contributed greatly to the worsening situation of
the water resource is the lack of a comprehensive program for water resource
development and monitoring of quality of existing sources and distribution systems.
Other project component potential that will increase quantity of water supply are:
The watershed areas and the underlying aquifer are limited in size and
storage. This means that the natural occurrence of water is finite and that it
might be exhausted in the future due to the increasing population and
economic activities. Furthermore, development in the catchment areas are
happening that could affect the quality and quantity of water supply.
Development should be done with due consideration of the carrying capacity
of the catchment area. To strike a balance between development and
environmental protection is a difficult process. One needs a complete
understanding of the dynamics of interaction within the integrated catchment
management, to be able to achieve this balance.
c. Socio-economic constraints
Because of the higher cost of land for housing in the urban area, the
population is moving towards the rural areas. More areas of the latter are
developed for housing use and other economic activities. While ecological
integrity is important, livelihood of the communities is equally critical for
survival. Many of the upland residents are not trained to do sustainable
agriculture and related activities that are not harmful to the environment.
Destructive and exploitative activities and other practices that the area is not
sustainable in nature are still in practice.
d. Technical constraints
e. Social constraints
Sectoral Objectives
2.14.1.3 Strategies
All activities should be integrated to address the issue of water quantity and
water quality because any activity and/or project done within the watershed
areas surely affect water quality and quantity.
The CUSW and PCEEM programs have substantial undertakings along these
directions and these should be given due considerations and be the core
portion of the plan.
Many Agencies are implementing measures to save and conserve water. The
Cebu City Government, in the approval of permits for building construction is
incorporating the provision of “cisterns” specifically to collect and store
rainwater. However, no monitoring of its effectiveness is being done. MCWD,
the local water district has its own water conservation program/tips for water
users. All these are good initiatives, however, there is a need to strengthen
and develop an effective persuasive program for water conservation in all
levels of users. The program should be designed to consider maximum water
savings and it should be “from the source to the end of pipe” (distribution line)
to household uses.
Sources of water outside Metro Cebu are potential sources for future
development and hence, must be promoted. Water resource investigation
must be conducted in these areas. Aside from source development,
technology for converting water or purifying water is becoming a thing in the
present. Desalination plants are now extensively used to produce potable
water at a competitive cost, therefore, an in depth study shall be conducted
and guidelines have to be formulated to come up with definite directions and
specific ordinances in the development, utilization and operation for
alternative water sources.
The losses of the existing water distribution system have almost reached to
unacceptable levels and if this is not addressed soonest, every Cebuano will
be paying double the actual volume he will be using. Once and for all, a
comprehensive and detailed study have to be conducted on the existing
system so that it can be intelligently determined what improvements have to
be done to render the distribution system more efficient i.e. least systems loss
and least subject to water theft and under utilization reporting. The selected
scheme considering future supply requirements have to be implemented
immediately.
The existing provisions imposed by the City on buildings for cisterns have to
be expanded to even small individual residential structures in order to
augment scarce supply of water for ordinary uses other than drinking.
Several offers from the private sector for the supply of water have reached
MCWD under the Build Operate Transfer schemes and their derivatives and
these have to be pursued. Encourage more proponents by providing these
groups with full technical and other assistance within MCWDs limitations,
instead of imposing bureaucratic red tape that only discourage them.
The implementation of small and medium water supply projects for the
barangays as enumerated in the consolidated barangay profile have to be
continued unless there are ones included in the comprehensive program.
Drainage and sewerage systems are basic infrastructures that are a must for all
developing and developed cities. These require appropriate planning and
design that will have to consider efficient operation and maintenance to sustain
the level of efficiency in conveying storm water and liquid waste from individual
sources down to the main treatment facility.
In general, Metro Cebu has a combined drainage and sewerage system. This
means that storm water and domestic sewage are conveyed through a single
pipeline, culvert or open canal and is directly discharged to rivers or into the
sea with minimal treatment. Compounded with the uncollected solid waste, a
number of these drainage systems are clogged and silted rendering them
almost useless. Flooding of the City streets and low lying areas are a common
sight even during a slightly heavy rain. In addition, the stormwater is
contaminated by domestic and industrial waste.
Stormwater and sewage from domestic waste are simply allowed to infiltrate
into the ground, that in the process had affected our groundwater source, the
main source, which is of Metro Cebu’s water supply.
Assessment Performance
Several observations are made on the existing drainage and sewerage systems
of Cebu City, among these are:
a) Stormwater
The existing drainage system does not incorporate the stormwater disposal and
management to control the flow on the other hand and maximize the use of
stormwater on the other hand. The old paradigm of “collect and dispose
immediately” is still the mode used in their designs. The focus of the system
was simply to provide relief and stop gap of flooding rather than overall control
and utilization of stormwater.
Stormwater and sewage are conveyed in a single pipeline. This method always
allows contamination of the stormwater and consequently the receiving water
bodies. Some exceptions are observed in the new housing development where
a separate pipeline conveyed stormwater and another one from sewage.
However, inadequate treatment of the sewage discharges defeats the purpose
of separating the conveyance system.
c) Constriction of Waterways
City ordinance number 1764 provided for the creation of the Cebu City River-
Eco Park Management Commission (CC-REPMC) or Bantay Sapa Commission
for the purpose of developing, managing and rehabilitating the major rivers and
streams within the boundaries of the city.
The ordinance was based on the devolution to the Local Government Units, the
DENR functions on the management, protection, rehabilitation and
maintenance of small watershed areas which are sources of legal water supply
and the water code of the Philippines which provides for the retention of rivers,
streams and shores of the seas and throughout their entire length
In March 2000, the CC-REMC rendered a report on the pilot area; the
Guadalupe River which enumerated the different abuses the river had been
subjected to this past years from throwing of both solid and liquid wastes,
construction of illegal structures, extracting volumes of sand and gravel that
sometimes endangers bank protection and other structures and the definite
lack of attention from the City in terms of garbage collection, lighting, etc. The
situation is not unique to the Guadalupe River, it is almost the same in the other
waterways within Cebu City.
The level or degree of the design basis of drainage and sewerage systems
used by most LGUs like Cebu City is not holistic in its approach and therefore
right after the completion of a drainage system in one area (maybe 1 block to a
maximum of 5 x 5 blocks), the same problem was simply transferred to the next
blocks. Since the planning is on a specific area basis, without consideration of
the over-all system, many drainage projects have been rendered in effective
and wasted scarce Government funds.
In most city streets except those along the National Roads, almost all of the
roads constructed in the past did not have a complete drainage system
component. While construction and improvement of roads in Cebu City were
implemented by the City Engineer’s Office and some by the DPWH, Cebu City
Engineering District, there had been no major road projects as big and as
important as those under the Metro Cebu Development Projects (MCDP) and
all of the roads, MCDP implemented under MCDP-1 and MCDP-2 have already
complete drainage components.
Likewise, since the creation of HLURB, sometime in the early eighties up to the
present is the agency that is mandated to issue development permits to
subdivision and housing projects until the enforcement of the Local
Government Code, the construction of housing projects in the past did not fully
consider the drainage and sewerage facilities. These are the discrepancies
where the problems have originated.
The main constraints that always prevent the attainment of the proper drainage
and sewerage systems in our roads and other development projects are:
a) Budget limitation is still the main reason for the neglect of drainage systems
as basic components to road construction and improvement, and because
these are basic services, no private groups would dare to invest because
the investment costs is very difficult, if not, almost not recoverable.
b) Most, if not all LGUs including Cebu City, does not have a definite drainage
and/or sewerage masterplan such that applications for new development,
be it residential, commercial, industrial, should have had specific locations
and or elevation requirements for their drainage outlets. This should have
ensured smoother flow of the stormwater of the development area to the
exit water bodies as based from the hydraulics and hydrology of the entire
area.
c) By the same reasons, sewerage lines for most of the new developments
have nowhere to drain their stormwater thereby causing flooding of nearby
areas like the recent case of a subdivision development in Pardo and
similar other development in some Cebu City areas.
e) The high cost of real estate and the tedious process of road right of way
acquisition is sometimes the reason for deleting and/or delaying the
drainage components of road projects and other new developments, and
finally,
Sectoral Objectives
The designs for all of the sub-projects should be based from the
comprehensive analysis of the entire Cebu City and adjacent areas.
b) define the total drainage demand to fully serve the planned development.
c) pinpoint the magnitude and location of existing drainage system that needs
rehabilitation, improvement, expansion and/or simply needs regular
cleaning and determine the final new infrastructure requirements to satisfy
both the existing and planned.
The designs based on the above have to be implemented within the next 5 to
10 years.
Recent technologies that look at closely the integration of the drainage and
sewerage system into a single treatment system, recycling them to ultimately
produce water that can be utilized by industries, commercial and even for
residential common uses even up to potable level are available world wide. An
in-depth study should be conducted to formulate a system that will work and
best suited to the Cebu conditions and ultimately implement them.
The more advanced and meaningful system is the integration of the other utility
lines (communications, electric, etc) into an underground tunnel/ structure using
modern construction methods that does not disturb the road surface and its
surroundings.
The CC-REMPC program and projects have to be fully supported and financed,
however, a detailed comprehensive suvey has to be conducted first to determine
more accurately the number and ownership status of existing structures that will
be affected so that a more realistic and reliable budget for their eviction and/or
relocation can be determined.
Many of the drainage appurtenances are badly damage and not functioning
properly. Inlets should be given extra attention in its design and maintenance.
For new developments, it is essential to consider the use of separate system
rather than combined system. It has several advantages such as prohibitive cost,
improved effluent quality and etc.
The implementation of small and medium drainage and sewerage projects for the
barangays as enumerated in the consolidated barangay profile that resulted from
the barangay consultations have to be continued.
In response to the INSWMSF, Cebu City constructed its sanitary landfill in 1998.
Cebu City is one of the few fortunate cities in the country that has implemented
an environmentally sound method of waste disposal. The City has not only
shown its concern but has likewise adopted a solution to its hounding garbage
problem with the construction and operation of a sanitary landfill in barangay
Inayawan.
To ensure the success of the project and to coordinate the executive and
legislative forces, the mayor also created the Cebu City Cleanliness Action
Team (CCCAT), which is mainly responsible with the enforcement of anti-littering
ordinances and other related laws of the city.
The city also has many civic and private initiatives, which are aimed at
maintaining cleanliness and improving the solid waste management system of
the city. The central office responsible for all cleaning and greening activities as
well as management of solid waste in Cebu City is the Department of Public
Services (DPS).
The Central Visayas Urban Project (CVUP) report in 1983 categorized solid
wastes of Metro Cebu into two major types, namely;
The CVUP study reported that 49.7 % of Cebu City waste came from residential
sources, 17.7% from streets, 12.6% from industries/ manufacturing, 12.6% from
markets, 2.5% from commercial establishments, 2.5% from other sources and
1% from construction and demolition (Table 2.14.3.01). The total estimated
amount of solid wastes generated in Cebu City in 1982 was 212.20 tons per day.
Data taken from the Department of Public Services DPS showed an increasing
trend in the annual volume of garbage collection in Cebu City during the period
1977-1998. Waste quantities decreased sharply in 1978 then stayed nearly
constant in 1979, had risen slightly in 1980 and increased sharply in 1981. From
then on until 1985, waste quantities decreased gradually. From 1986 until 1999,
the waste volume kept on increasing gradually, annually. The highest ever-
recorded annual volume of collected garbage in the city was in 1997 where the
annual total volume was 533,746.90 m3/yr.
The National Statistics Office (NSO, 1990) revealed that Cebu City households
mode of waste disposal were: by truck collection (47%), burning (34.8%),
dumping in pits (12.4%), other means (3.7%), composting (0.9%), burying (0.8%),
and feeding to animals (0.4%) (See Table 2.14.3.03). Other means could include
disposing of wastes in canals, streets, and other open areas.
Cebu City has a total population of 662,299. The 1999 population of the city is
estimated at 726,877 (POPCOM, 1999). Being a commercial center and a
distribution point, it is projected that the city population will continually increase in
the next 12 years.
Table 2.14.3.1
Types of Solid Wastes in Metro Cebu
Industrial/manufacturing F r o m e s t a b l i s h m e n t s i n v o l v e d i n
waste production of food, beverage, textile,
garments, leather & footwear, woodcraft,
metal craft, paper products, printing,
chemical products, non-metallic products,
machinery & equipment and others
Table 2.14.3.2
Estimated Waste Generation in Cebu City
(tons/day), 1982
Cebu City 105.50 5.40 26.80 26.80 2.70 37.50 2.10 5.40
(49.7%) (2.5%) (12.6%) (12.6%) (1.3%) (17.7%) (1.%) (2.5%)
Source: Central Visayas Urban Project, 1993
Table 2.14.3.3
Households by Usual Manner of Garbage Disposal
And by Province: Rural –Urban, 1990
For an average per capita generation of 0.50 kg/day, it is estimated that in 1999
the total amount of waste generated daily is 363,438.50 kg. The DPS placed their
average actual collection in 1999 at 93% of the total daily waste generation,
amounting to about 350 metric tons of garbage collected per day. All of this goes
to the sanitary landfill for disposal.
The projected annual total solid waste generation in Metro Cebu area in the next
12 years based on an annual 10% growth rate of the current average per capita
solid waste generation. The 10% growth is proportionate to the growth of the city
residents’ personal consumption, commercial and industrial activity, and social
and cultural interaction.
The other areas mentioned in the table refer to the Metro Cebu area, excluding
Cebu City but including the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-lapu together with the
municipalities of Cordova, Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela in the north, as
well as those of Talisay, Naga and Minglanilla in the south.
The average annual growth rate of these other areas is estimated at 2.5%, giving
a population of 853,920 (1999). The estimated current solid waste generation for
the other areas is about 425 metric tons/day or 155,840 kg/day basing on the
current 0.5 kg/day/person solid waste generation.
For the whole Metro Cebu area, including Cebu City, total amount of solid waste
generated in 1999 was 288,505 kg/day.
Metro Cebu solid wastes can be classified into three types (MCSWC, 1999),
namely:
2) Class B waste, which includes all solid wastes from all hospitals and medical
facilities within the Metro Cebu Area (approximately 3-5 metric tons/day
equivalent to about 5% of total solid waste); and
Percentage by Weight
Component
Yard and field waste 33.5%
Fines and inerts 12.9%
Wood 11.5%
Food Waste 11.0%
Paper and cardboard 10.2%
Plastic and Petroleum products 9.8%
Textiles 4.1%
Metals 3.3 %
Glass 1.9%
Leather and Rubber 1.8%
Total 100.00%
Source: Solid Waste Management for LGU’s, DENR-EMB, 1996
For storing garbage, households and establishments usually use two solid waste
container types. Most commonly used is the separate unit storage, which
consists of temporary, non-standardized separate containers such as plastic
bags, baskets and cartons. The other type is the communal storage, which is
usually employed by schools, offices, and public markets. The four-sided
roofless enclosure with door common storage is the one used by most schools
while the Carbon market uses the communal stationary bin type.
Waste Collection
There are four types of collection services that are practiced in Cebu City and
these are:
This allows garbage trucks operating at regular routes to stop at every street
intersection and ring a bell or play music signaling residents to bring their
waste bins to the waiting truck.
2. Communal collection
3. Entrance collection
This system allows collection of waste from bins or containers placed outside
of the house, either close to the sidewalk or at the house entrance.
4. Door-to-door collection
Residents put their wastes outside the front door at a designated collection
time and waste collectors empty the waste bins or throw the waste bags into
the vehicle.
The type of collection system used by the DPS is the mechanized (or motorized),
stationary-container system consisting of an enclosed top, manually loaded
compactor. Barangay garbage trucks are usually dump trucks that of the open
top manually loaded type.
Out of the city’s 80 barangays, only 54 urban and rural barangays are covered by
the city collection service. This translates to a collection efficiency of 68%, in
terms of area coverage.
Waste collection is done daily at major roads and highways, at central business
districts and other commercial areas. In other areas, collection is carried out two
to three times a week.
DPS owns a total of 52 compactor trucks but only 22 units are operating with a
total vehicle capacity of 215 m3. Three thrash bins having a total capacity of 45
m3 are stationed at the Carbon area to collect market wastes. Some of the city’s
barangays also own garbage trucks to collect garbage in areas not served by
DPS such as the interior portion of the barangay.
For SW collection purposes, the city’s urban area is divided into three zones: 1)
north, 2) south, and 3) central district. The north district is composed of 10 sub
zones, the south has 9 and the central district is comprised of 21 sub zones.
Solid waste collection is done during the day shift except for the central district.
Table 35.3.09 shows the component barangays and areas for the city’s three
zones and the corresponding schedule of collection.
DPS also deploys roving collection services in some areas like Buhisan and
Taboan, Hipodromo, and the Guadalupe abattoir. This is considered one zone.
The total waste quantity collected from this zone in 1999 was 11.41 metric tons.
This also includes waste collected by the city’s metro aides/ sweepers.
One dedicated truck of the DPS serves government and private hospitals in the
city. The amount of garbage collected from hospitals in 1999 was 108.19 m3 or
about 4.42 metric tons (1999).
Table 2.14.3.5
Existing Waste Collection Districts and Zones of Cebu City
Table 3.14.3. 6
Volume of Garbage Disposed in Inayawan Sanitary Landfill
Cebu City (As of 1999)
The Cebu City Cleanliness Action Team (CCCAT) one of the member
organizations of EPC that is mainly concerned with the enforcement and
implementation of the city’s ordinances and laws on anti-littering has a committee
on Information and Education. The committee, run by the Philippine Marketing
Association, is tasked to create a communication plan for the city’s “Clean and
Green Program” and to develop marketing material.
DPS Level
Barangay Level
The health centers of the CHD coordinates with the barangay in the conduct of
their activities. In support to the “Clean and Green Program” of the city, some
active civic groups are organizing cleaning up campaigns, holding information
meetings, and initiating sweeping campaign at the barangay level. Two of such
initiatives were the Operation Linis Gugma in barangay Guadalupe and the Don
Bosco Cleanliness Drive in barangay Pasil.
Budget
The annual budget for DPS, as well as with other departments at Cebu City Hall,
is set up following the “skin and bones” methodology, meaning, that the annual
budget of the current year can not exceed the actual spending in the preceding
year.
Beginning in 1998, major changes were made which affected the budget
allocated for DPS. Several activities of DPS were transferred to DGS in 1998,
which reduced the overall budget intended for DPS. These activities were 1)
street lighting, 2) artesian wells services, 3) building maintenance, and 4)
transport and maintenance, heavy equipment, light vehicles and bus repair.
Division budgets most affected were the Garbage Collection and Disposal and
Street Cleaning. Shifts were made from the accounts for salaries and wages in
the Street Cleaning division towards the account for the Clean and Green
Program of the mayor of the Cebu City.
Under the General Administration activity, the total current operating expenditures
from 1997 to 1998 do not reflect any significant changes. This account is already
under the GPS budget.
Under the Street Cleaning activity, the Maintenance and Other Operating
Expenses (MOOE) for 1997 was only P 472,127.43 but it increased to P
8,087,540.00 (1998) and P 8,728,105.00 (1999). The sharp increase of the
MOOE budget was mainly due to the “Clean and Green Program” budget.
Under the Garbage Collection activity, the total actual chief operating
expenditures recorded for 1997 was P 64,873,261.00. This amount was reduced
to P 33,605,420.00 in 1998 and P 40,072,152.20 in 1999. The decrease was
primarily due to 1) the transfer of the Maintenance, Materials and Supply costs for
Heavy Equipment/Light Vehicles, Transport and Maintenance and Bus repair
from DPS to the GPS budget, and 2) a big cut in salaries and wages (personal
services expenditure) of garbage collection personnel to accommodate the Clean
and Green Program expenditures.
Under the Maintenance of Plaza, Parks and Monuments activity of the Cebu City
Parks and Playground Commission, no significant changes were observed on the
budget.
For street lighting, artesian wells services, and building maintenance, the total
chief operating expenditure for 1997 was P 18,664,000.00. As expected, DPS
has no budget for these activities for 1998 and 1999 because the budget for
these had been transferred to GPS.
Because of significant changes introduced in 1998, the 1998 DPS budget was
reduced to about 42%. Although the budget increased by more than P 7M in
1999, but it still is about 35 % reduced in comparison to 1997.
As mentioned earlier, the Artesian Wells Services (or Barangay Waterworks) and
the Street Lighting Services have been returned to DPS starting 2000. The
estimated total appropriation for the budget year 2000 is P 4,760,634.00 and P
6,125,698.00 for Artesian Well Services and Street Lighting Services,
respectively. On the other hand, the Maintenance of Plaza, Parks and
Monuments of the Cebu City Parks and Playground Commission, now under the
city Mayor’s Office has a total appropriation (estimated) of P 5,290,664.00 for the
budget year 2000.
City Ordinance no.1082, dated December 1980, provided for the collection,
transportation and disposal of refuse or garbage within the City of Cebu and
prescribing a revised rate of garbage fees.
City Ordinance no. 1321 date January 27,1989, amended a few articles of
ordinance no. 1295 and instituting a Grievance Committee by the Office of the
Mayor.
City ordinance no. 1361 dated February 5,1990, provided for the establishment of
a system of garbage collection, imposing fees therefore, and appropriating funds
and for other related purposes. This ordinance introduces the public services
manager as a decentralized supervisor dealing with a number of public utility
tasks and supervising the public cleansing and waste collection service delivery
of the DPS. Moreover, a very comprehensive waste collection and disposal for
structure for all types of social, commercial, and other activities is worked out in
this ordinance.
Fees and other updates are presented in ordinances no.1366 of April 30, 1990,
no. 1385 of November 20, 1990, No.1391 of February 18, 1991, No.1482 of
November 29, 1993, No. 1521 of April 18, 1994 and No. 1537 of August 29, 1997.
It is interesting to note that in 1998 a resolution has been adopted in the City
Council, requiring the barangay captains to supervise the collection of garbage,
implement measures to minimize waste and take responsibility in the sanitation of
their barangays.
Pursuant to the Local Government Code, the barangay captains are required to
enforce laws and regulations for pollution control of the environment, to ensure
delivery of basic services and to promote the general welfare of the barangay.
Major reason for improper disposal of garbage is the lack of discipline of the
residents. Second is the lack of cooperation among residents. Other reasons
include narrow roads because vendors are occupying a portion of the road and
lack of funds.
A reduced budget will generally affect the DPS program of service delivery to
the city residents eventually leading to poor collection services, because of
improper equipment and vehicle maintenance and poor overall performance
of the sector.
The government has the support of the community’s civic groups and non-
government organizations on matters pertaining to enhancing the level of
awareness of the citizens through massive information, education and
communication campaigns.
Efforts to recycle wastes at the household level are very minimal. Commercial
and industrial waste generators do not have any waste recycling programs for
their solid wastes. When waste containers are placed at the street sides for
collection, some waste pickers usually scavenge through the containers for
recyclable materials while animals (usually dogs) look for food and leave the
area littered with garbage.
Hospitals also separate their wastes into infectious and non- infectious
wastes, using receptacles and color-coded bags for specific waste materials.
The solid waste management sector has a good public awareness program
involving the public and private sectors. In support to the cleanliness and
greening program of the city, some community organizations are actively
pursuing information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns on the
fight against drugs as well as on cleanliness, sanitation and waste
management.
Presently, more than 100 scavengers at the landfill are already organized into
a cooperative. This is advantageous because issues on worker health, safety
and dignity of the scavengers can now be considered.
Constraints
This is one of the two constraints identified by the Economic sector, during the
General Consultation and Planning Workshop for the Cebu City Strategic Master
Plan Study (CCMPS). In general, the city garbage collection is described as
inefficient because of the irregularity of garbage collection, there are other areas
of the barangay not served by the city collection services such as the interior
sitios and barangay road inaccessible to garbage trucks, and only 54 of the city’s
80 barangays are covered (68%) by the DPS collection.
The Philippines, along with Indonesia, China and India, are the Asian countries
facing the greatest waste management challenge, based on the projected waste
generation rates and relative affluence to deal with the problem (World Bank,
1999).
The paper further stated that not only are the quantities of waste increasing
commensurate with the growing economy and expanding population; the
composition is also shifting towards plastics and paper packing.
Cebu City Ordinance No. 1361, doe not define which categories of waste the city
either will or will not pick up. It does not state which waste category is the
responsibility of the city. It appears therefore that the city is responsible for all
urban waste of the city including residential, commercial, industrial, institutional,
construction and demolition, and hazardous wastes.
DPS does not have a public relation section that will support IEC campaigns of
other bodies and groups. The department also does not have a marketing and
sales section that will take care of its commercial function to raise funds or collect
more revenues.
The lack of funds is one of the problems cited by the barangays during the
barangay consultation/validation.
The city collection service covered only about 68% of the total 80 barangays.
Most barangays in the upland area are not served. Likewise interior and
inaccessible areas of the urban barangays are also not serviced.
g) Equipment maintenance
Despite the massive IEC campaign of the government and the civic groups,
people continue to be indifferent, indiscriminately throwing their garbage at the
public areas/places like the streets, drainage outlets, canals, sewers and rivers.
The solid waste disposal practice authorized by the DOH is outline below:
Incinerator
Composting
Open Dumpsite
- Not allowed by DOH unless there are no other means of disposing wastes.
Should this method be used, safety precautions should be observed.
Some of the guidelines for community with special requirements for waste
disposal (Hongkong Planning Standards & Guidelines, 1999) are as follows:
Abattoirs
Abattoirs should include adequate waste treatment facilities to handle all waste
forms generated. These should include treatment facilities for carcasses,
condemned meat, blood, skin, offal’s, grease, stomach content, nails, hairs and
waste water. There should be a separation of wastewater sewerage from storm
water sewerage.
Hospitals/Clinics
All clinical wastes should be separately collected from other municipal wastes.
All clinical wastes must be disposed of in specially designed pathological
incinerators.
(Source: Hongkong Planning Standard and Guidelines, 1999)
Present Level of Services
Incinerator
Hospital wastes are segregated at the source but end up combined again during
waste collection because the truck has no compartment to separate the infectious
from the non-infectious wastes. Hospital wastes, although separated from the other
waste types, are treated in a similar manner as the others. The incinerator, which
was intended for treatment of hospitals wastes, never been used due to opposition of
some environmental groups.
Composting
The composting practice is limited only in school were students learn to compost
garbage, using the compost for greening the school compound. Most urban
households do not practice composting of garbage.
Sorting of garbage at source is not popular among scavengers. They prefer to sort
garbage at the disposal-working site, which supposedly is a restricted area because
it is a health and safety hazard.
Open Dumpsite
The sanitary landfill has some environmental controls like the liners and leachate
collection piping network but has no leachate treatment system. Only a small portion
of the completed landfill is covered by the soil material because of the lack of trucks
to haul soil cover materials. Moreover, the landfill is not constructed according to its
original depth design. Two of its very important facilities are presently not used.
Abattoirs
Three thrash bins, each with a capacity of 15 m3 are placed at the Carbon Market,
the city’s major market. Stall owners and vendors dump their wastes, animals and
vegetable wastes combined, at the bins. The containers are placed and transported
to the disposal site daily by the one garbage vehicle equipped with a hydraulic lift
system. The other markets have basically the same system.
Sectoral Vision
Cebu City shall become a zero waste community in year 2020.
Sectoral Objective
The hierarchy of integrated waste management can be a useful tool for goal
setting and planning and for evaluating the components of a integrated waste
management against the community’s needs. At the top of the hierarchy is source
reduction, which is designed to reduce both the toxic constituents in products and
quantities of waste generated. The second step of the hierarchy is recycling that
includes composting. Below these two are waste combustion and landfilling.
Waste combustion, like incineration, reduces the bulk of the waste and can
provide the added benefit of energy production. Landfilling is necessary to
manage non-recyclable and noncombustible wastes.
This involves development and running, training courses on SWM for the benefit
of the DPS staff. This is to provide additional technical knowledge on good solid
waste management and landfill siting, design, construction, operation, and
monitoring; knowledge on specific regulations and criteria for sitting design, and
construction of sanitary landfill site; and knowledge on leachate collection and
treatment, landfill gas collection and management, and monitoring tools,
equipment and procedures.
The city government should work closely with private collectors, haulers,
processors, and the secondary materials industry for a good solid waste
management. The private sector includes the private companies that are hired
by some large commercial establishments for collection services, the informal
sector consisting of scavengers and waste pickers and the junk shops/scrap
dealers proliferating around the city.
Several private groups have presented and proposed to the City along these
lines and these should be supported.
d) Establishment of a separate accounting for solid waste management and
adoption of performance measurement to increase cost effectiveness and
efficiency of solid waste management services.
The city must continually look for ways to raise funds to increase its cost recovery
capacity. The SWM cost recovery rate of Cebu City in 1998 was only about 8%.
To generate extra revenues for waste disposal, the city can start collection and
disposal through a differentiated tariff systems based on the “Polluter Pays
Principle”. Target groups may include the high and middle income households,
businesses and commercial institutions and disposal fees at the landfill (for those
who are disposing their wastes at the landfill other than DPS). Low income
households may also be charged with a relatively small amount to generate
additional revenue.
Taxes and fees for garbage handling as laid down in Ordinance 1361 should be
revised and corrected for inflation over the period 1990-1998.
The city must continually improve the coverage and level of services it provides
to its residents.
To improve collection efficiency for all sources of solid wastes, the following
strategies are identified:
This method consists of actual separation and sampling of the waste produced.
Sampling can take place at the landfill or curbside. Samples are extracted and
the contents separated, identified and weighed. Samples are taken
systematically. This method provides the most accurate and reliable information
possible because the data are unique to the waste shed being studied. This also
involves significant monetary and time commitments. The study is an important
component of a solid waste database of the city. This must be carried out in the
short or immediate term.
Recycling is currently done by the informal sector, more at the disposal site than
at the source. By separating and selling recyclable materials from waste loads,
scavengers/waste pickers generate income from the sale of goods while also
creating an avoided disposal cost savings. As a result the quantity of wastes that
goes into the landfill is reduced or minimized.
The sorting facility at the landfill may be operated once the source separation
program is successful. Since bulky wastes are eliminated, the facility will be able
to sort the light wastes, which the sorting conveyors can handle.
Scavengers will be contained in the sorting area and will not be allowed to
conduct their activities at the landfill working area.
The recycling program may be managed/operated by the city, the private sector,
or by a corporation created by the city. The corporation will allow financing from
the tax base while separating recycling from the normal city functions. In such a
system, the recycling program has independent budgeting and money-raising
powers. This program shall be implemented in the short-term.
The vision/desired scenario for the SWM sector is that by 2005, all solid wastes
will be collected on a regular basis (CCSMPS General Consultation and Planning
Workshop, 2000).
Storage
Collection
A separate collection will be instituted for the target groups identified above. DPS
will be mainly responsible for the collection of wastes placed in major and
national roads. While the barangay will take care of the collection of wastes in
areas not accessible to DPS trucks.
Transportation
For hospital wastes, a van-type vehicle or light truck may be used to correctly
store the special bins, boxes and bags.
There is a need to rehabilitate and improve the present maintenance and repair
facility at the DPS office. Some modern workshop tools may be acquired to
facilitate the existing maintenance activities.
Maintenance staff should be properly trained and must have proper technical
knowledge, i.e., hydraulics, electrical systems, and application of specific tools for
every new vehicle purchased. DPS should also consider recruiting young and
properly educated technicians in the future.
Certain solid wastes may be unwanted and useless in one area but may
eventually become valuable resources to others once they are removed from the
waste stream.
f) Monitoring Program
The existing landfill was designed to operate for seven years. Due to increased
solid waste generation and some design problems, the life of the landfill is
shortened to about three years. It is therefore very essential to extend the life
span of the landfill by considering appropriate technology that will not have any
adverse environmental concern to the community in terms of air and water
pollution.
Recently, the landfill was found to have violated some conditions stipulated in the
Environmental Compliance Certificate. It is very essential that the city has to
rectify the violation by immediately implementing some measures, such as:
construction of a water-pollution source facility, prohibiting scavengers from
sifting through the thrash in the working area, ensuring that soil covering
requirement is complied to prevent odor generation and insect infestation,
ensuring availability of trucks/haulers to bring limestone to the landfill,
implementation of waste segregation, installation of monitoring wells, etc.
The technical/engineering aspect has to be looked into to see what can be done
about it, i.e. design of conveyor belts, depth of the landfill, etc.
Promoting public-private partnerships, the city can go into a BOT scheme with a
private firm, local or foreign, that could offer the best solution to the city’s growing
garbage problem.
Solid waste stream data and other related statistical information are necessary in
monitoring and controlling existing waste management systems. Key input and
output solid waste data can be linked and evaluated for effectiveness,
productivity and efficiency. The processed information is relevant for planning,
policy preparation and implementation. The MIS is to be carried out immediately.
Government agencies such as DENR, DILG, DECS, and the DOH and some
civic groups and stakeholders have been actively pursuing public awareness
campaign for the past years. However, the city’s solid waste manager, the DPS,
has not been actively involved in the campaign.
There is a need to bring forth an internal change of the organization of the DPS to
be able to cope with the changing condition of solid waste management of the
city. Secondly, for the DPS to be able to introduce changes and new approaches
to the city such as a more participative attitude of Cebu City residents. It is
therefore necessary to introduce a Public Awareness section in the DPS that will
mainly responsible for the development of public awareness campaign, that will
handle public complaints and that will coordinate with the City Hall, Barangays,
and NGOs.
There must be efficient coordination and clarity on the lines of authority and
delegation between EPC and CCCAT. Similarly, an effective working relationship
must also be established between EPC and PIO.
All public awareness and community participation activities can be linked with the
National Health Promotion Program of the DOH. Important linkages and
networks can be developed for shared promotion and education, training and
awareness raising materials and methodologies for organization communities.
With this strategy, it is important that DOH/CHD must be represented in the EPC
along with all the other important stakeholders of the city.
Health workers who have developed good contacts with barangay residents or
sitio leaders could be involved in awareness raising campaigns on solid waste
management.
Awareness materials developed by PIO are targeting only the communities and
households. Information and awareness stream must be developed towards the
industrial, institutional and commercial sectors of the city.
The health units in the city could provide waste workers with regular health
checkups and injections. This shall be implemented in the immediate-term.
Cebu City is the only city in the country that is proposing an Environment
Department. The Department shall act as the overall agency responsible for all
environmental concerns/affairs and programs that the city will undertake. At
present, environmental functions are carried out separately by different agencies,
sometimes not in coordination with one another. The proposed Environment
Department shall be composed but not limited to the following divisions: solid
waste management, flood-prone areas, drainage and sewerage, and decision
zones. The plan shall be implemented in the short-term.
The city government can seek the help of the business and the industrial
companies and work together as equal partners in developing comprehensive
waste management programs. For example, multinational companies, such as
Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Unilever, etc., with their global expertise can become
powerful allies to the local government in the fight against waste. Similarly large
business/ corporations in the city can also support this program. This shall be
implemented in the medium-term.
The EPR has gained popularity in Europe in the last few years. In Sweden, the
Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, through an ordinance,
required the increased return and recycling of consumer packaging, scrap paper,
old automobiles, and used tires.
The EPR is a voluntary measure, which places the responsibility upon the
manufacturer to reduce the environmental impacts of their product at each stage
of the product’s life. The responsibility is extended to all those involved in the
product chain, from manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, consumers and disposers
of products. (World Bank, 1999). The EPR shall be adopted for implementation
in the long-term.
p) Environmental Eco-labeling
q) Waste exchanges
The internet is a good venue that companies can use in listing their materials to
increase the exchange rates.
East Asian countries like the Philippines may benefit from working cooperatively
in establishing secondary materials markets and from instituting consistent
product and packaging design standards (World Bank, 1999). The city can adopt
this program in the medium to the long-term.
r) Landbanking
Waste quantities are generally linked to a city’s economic activity and resource
consumption. As the city becomes more urbanized and economically developed,
the population uses more resources and produces more wastes.
The city can work towards resettlement of squatters to further sites. The
landbanking program encourages squatter resettlement but discourages on-site
development and slum improvement. This program must also be complemented
with another program that is providing more economic opportunities for
households to improve their housing condition. Implementation of this program
will be in the medium to the long-term.
Air pollution is the presence of undesirable materials in air, in quantities large enough
to produce harmful effects. This may result to damage in human health, vegetation,
human property, or the global environment. Air contaminants will also affect aesthetic
conditions in the form of brown or hazy air or unpleasant smells. The principal
sources of these pollutants are human activities.
Air pollution sources are: 1a) combustion stationary sources (i. e., power stations and
industrial plants, incineration of wastes, open burning of agricultural wastes, and
forest fires) and 1b) combustion mobile sources (i.e., internal combustion engine of
automobiles), 2) land use changes and agricultural activities (i. e., change of forest
land into farmland, change of grassland into farmland, and increasing consumption of
fertilizer), 3) eruption of volcano, 4) regional war and oil well fire, and 5) indoor air
pollution.
Most common air pollutants in the Philippines are: 1) total suspended solids (TSP),
2) sulfur dioxide, 3) nitrogen oxides, 4) photochemical oxidants, 5) carbon monoxide,
and 6) lead.
Total suspended particulates are primarily comprised of small solid particles such as
dust, metallic and mineral particles, smoke, mist and acid fumes.
Sulfur dioxide results from burning of fossil fuel where sulfur present in dry air is
converted into sulfur dioxide. When released in massive amounts, it may increase
the acidity of the atmosphere.
Nitrogen oxides are mixtures of nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen monoxide. The
presence of nitrogen oxides in air is largely derived from internal combustion engines
and boilers. Agricultural activities and use of fertilizers are the other source of
nitrogen oxides.
Photochemical oxidants are secondary air pollutants. These are the products of
photochemical reactions of hydrocarbons with relatively high concentrations of
nitrogen oxides. Ozone (O3), oxidizing agents, and other trace substances which
participate in the chemical reaction as oxidizing agents - this means they can oxidize
other air pollutants - are considered photochemical oxidants.
Most lead entering into the atmosphere is traced to tetraethyl lead, which is used as
an octane improver in most motor gasoline in the world. The remaining sources of
lead come from the remaining small amount of leaded gasoline, miscellaneous
industrial processes, and waste incineration.
Table 2.14.4.1 below shows the initial list and values of the hazardous air pollutants
with the corresponding air quality guideline values for each criterion pollutant. These
are considered national standards. These values refer to the concentration of air
over specified periods classified as short-term and long-term, intended to serve as
goals or objectives for the protection of health and/or public welfare.
Table 2.14.4.01
National Ambient Air Quality Guidelines for Criteria Pollutant
Short Term Long Term
Pollutants Ug/Ncm Ppm Averaging Ug/Ncm Ppm Averaging
Time Time
Suspended Particulate
Matter ©
- TSP 230 (d) 24 hours 90 - 1 year
- PM 10 150 (f) 24 hours 60 - 1 year
Sulfur Dioxide © 180 0.07 24 hours 80 0.03 1 year
Nitrogen Dioxide 150 0.08 24 hours - - -
Photochemical oxidants 140 0.07 1 hour - - -
As Ozone 60 0.03 8 hours - - -
Carbon Monoxide 35 mg/Ncm 30 1 hour - - -
10 mg/Ncm 9 2 hours - - -
Lead 1.5 - 3 months g) 1.0 - 1 year
a) Maximum limits represented by 98 % values not to exceed more than once a year.
b) Arithmetic mean.
c) SO2 and Suspended Particulate Matter are sampled once every 6 days when using the manual
methods. A minimum of 12 sampling days per quarter or 48 sampling days each year is required
for these methods. Daily sampling may be done in the future once continuous analyzers are
procured and become available.
d) Limits for Total Suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than 25-50
micrometer.
e) Annual Geometric Mean.
f) Provisional limits for suspended Particulate Matter with mass median diameter less than 10
microns and below until sufficient monitoring data are gathered to base a proper guideline.
g) Evaluation of this guideline is carried out for 24-hours averaging time and averaged over 3
moving calendar months. The monitored average value for any 3 months shall not exceed the
guideline value
Source: Republic Act No. 8749 or The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
Being a major commercial center, Cebu City is affected more by air pollution from
combustion from mobile sources than by combustion from stationary sources.
This means that the deterioration of air quality of Cebu City is mainly caused by
emissions from motor vehicles that ply the streets of the city, day and night, night
and day.
Another concern is the disposal practices of the city residents. Although majority
of the residents depend on the city garbage collection services, a bigger portion
of the population still practice burning. This portion refers to the people in the
interior and inaccessible areas of the barangays and in the mountain barangays
of the city where practically all garbage are not collected. The Refuse Collection
and Disposal Services Division of the Department of Public Services only collect
garbage from 54 of the city’s 80 barangays.
When garbage trucks break down, people will most likely resort to burning their
wastes. Others find it easier and more convenient to just throw their wastes in
open areas such as vacant lots and in water bodies like rivers and creeks. During
heavy downpours, plastics and other thrash are carried downstream. In the rural
barangays, people have no other choice but to burn their wastes, thus, burning is
widely practiced in this part of the city.
The condition of the road is also another determinant of the air quality of the area.
In general, Cebu City’s roads are asphalt (58.94 %), concrete (6.18 %), dirt/
gravel/anapog (25.99 %), and unclassified (8.89 %). Only 6 % are classified as
rural roads and about 87 % are in good condition. Dirt/gravel/anapog roads
obviously contribute to the deteriorating air quality of the city. Air pollutants in
these areas are dusts, metallic and mineral particles, smoke, and mists.
In general, the important air pollutants in Cebu City are the total suspended
particulates, photochemical smog, and heavy metal pollutants like lead. These
pollutants are emitted from the exhaust tail pipes of motor vehicles. Highly toxic
pollutants coming out from vehicle exhausts include lead particulates, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, mutagens and 200 other elements of the hydrocarbon family.
The Land Transportation Office in coordination with the Cebu City Traffic
Operations Management (CITOM) has been undertaking an anti-smoke belching
campaign since 1995. Pursuant to Department Order No. 2000-11 dated January
17, 2000, all motor vehicles are required to undergo a smoke emission test. From
1995 until 1999, the number of units that were apprehended by CITOM totaled
10,670, with 9,418 units of which were tested and 5,948 were issued compliance.
Aside from traffic congestion, the other important negative impact of the
transportation industry is air pollution. The type of air pollutants that is plaguing
pedestrians, commuters, vehicle drivers and ordinary residents of Cebu City is air
emissions from motor vehicles. This problem is alarming considering that motor
vehicle registration in Cebu City tremendously increased from 69,824 vehicles in
1994 to 95,861 in 1999, exhibiting a total increase of 26,000 vehicles during this
period or an average annual growth rate of 7.5 %.
Data from the National Statistics Office showed that in 1990, Cebu City
households disposed of their wastes primarily, by truck collection (47 %) and
secondly, by burning (34.8 %). Although NSO has no recent data on waste
disposal practices (this survey is done once every ten years), it can be observed
that the same trend is happening at present. Once garbage trucks broke down,
people automatically burn their wastes.
For a more effective air quality management, the city shall establish a system of
planning and coordination with the DENR, in the designation of airsheds in the
city and its neighboring areas, in the formulation of an Action Plan for the airshed,
and in the constitution of a Governing Board. The board shall be responsible in
the carrying out of the formulated action plans.
Prepare and develop an Action Plan consistent with the Integrated Air Quality
Improvement Framework to attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards
within their respective airsheds. This will also contain the procedure in the
carrying out of the Action Plan.
Coordinate with the DENR, and the multi-sectoral monitoring team in the conduct of
periodic inspections of air pollution sources to assess compliance with the emission
limitations contained in their permits.
Prepare and implement a program and other measures to protect the health and
welfare of the residents in the city, in coordination with the DENR and other
appropriate government agencies.
Conform to the DENR Action Plan that details emission standards or standards of
performance for any stationary source, emission testing procedures, and standard
enforcement procedures.
Develop an Action Plan for the control and management of air pollution from motor
vehicles consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Framework.
Promote a continuous program of monitoring air quality, air sheds and air
emissions.
Implement section 24 of the CAA, which prohibits smoking inside a public building
or an enclosed public place including vehicles and other means of transport, or in
any enclosed area outside of one’s private residence, private place of work or any
duly designated smoking area.
Coordinate with the DOE, DENR, DTI and the DOST in the regulation and control
of the use of fuel additives such that any proposed additive shall not in any way
increase emissions of any of the regulated gases like carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter.
Prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of leaded gasoline and of engines and/or
components requiring leaded gasoline.
Coordinate with the DENR and the PAGASA in its effort to implement a national
plan, which is consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change and other international agreements, convention and protocol, to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, persistent organic pollutants (POP), and
radioactive emissions in the country.
The city government of Cebu shall share the responsibility in the management and
maintenance of air quality in the city. It shall implement air quality standards set by
the Governing Board of the city.