Need for a Waste Treatment Facility in Cebu, according to the Department of Health
In a bid to address the persistent issues surrounding hazardous medical waste management, the Cebu Provincial Board has taken a significant step towards establishing a province-owned hazardous waste hauler and treatment facility.
The proposal was put forth during a hearing held on August 11, 2025, where Elaine Dasablan, a representative from the Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas (DOH-7), recommended that Cebu create its own DENR-accredited Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) to handle infectious and hazardous waste safely and properly within the province.
The call for action was instigated by reports of illegal dumping in Barangay Libjo, Tabogon town, northern Cebu, and incidents involving uncollected or improperly disposed hazardous medical waste, such as the discovery of nearly 300 drums in Mandaue City and repeated illegal dumping cases in several towns.
The current system, which relies on a single DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 accredited hauler serving 16 hospitals in the province, has been deemed insufficient. This limitation was brought to light during the board's investigation into the illegal waste disposal in Tabogon town.
The DOH-7 representative, Elaine Dasablan, suggested that having a province-owned hazardous waste treatment facility under the management of the Province of Cebu would be less costly and more economical. She believes that such a facility would likely be the best solution to improve waste management, prevent illegal dumping, and ensure proper disposal practices, which currently appear fragmented or inadequately enforced.
The Cebu Provincial Board has invited officials from the DOH 7, DENR-EMB 7, Provincial Health Office (PHO), the municipal health officer of Tabogon, the barangay captain of Libjo, the chairman of Tabogon's committee on health, and the manager of North Med Diagnostics and Renal Dialysis Center to a hearing on August 11, 2025. The hearing will also discuss the establishment of a Province-owned hazardous waste treatment facility.
The initiative is supported by local health and environmental agencies as a crucial step toward improving public and environmental health safeguards in Cebu. The Board has passed resolutions to investigate the compliance mechanisms of hospitals and waste handlers and to improve transparency and accountability regarding medical waste management.
It is hoped that the establishment of a province-owned hazardous waste facility will put an end to the illegal dumping of hazardous medical waste, such as the incident in Tabogon, and ensure that the province complies with its environmental code and safeguards the health of its citizens.
