A Cebu City councilor has questioned the relevance and cost of Mayor Nestor Archival’s trip to Japan to study waste and flood management, saying the city should focus on immediate local solutions to its garbage problem.
Councilor Jun Alcover, a critic of the current administration, raised his concerns in a series of Facebook posts, asking why the mayor opted for an overseas learning mission instead of convening local stakeholders to address what he described as an urgent crisis.
“Imbis mopatawag ug ‘basura summit’ inviting barangay captains, councilors and other stakeholders para mangita ug immediate solution kay dili komedya ni problem atong giatubang — ambot ngano milarga?” Alcover wrote.
He also questioned the need to study Japan’s waste management systems when the City Council has already given in-principle approval to a proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project.
“Kinahanglan pa ba? Kinsa gasto? Be transparent — kinsa imong mga kuyog?” he added, calling for disclosure of the trip’s expenses and delegation members.
Archival earlier said he would join an outbound business and learning mission in Japan from February 25 to 27 in conjunction with Care Show Japan 2026, with his return scheduled for February 28.
During his absence, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña serves as acting mayor, while Councilor Winston Pepito assumes the role of acting vice mayor, based on travel authority issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government on February 23 and signed by Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla.
Archival said the trip centers on two key concerns for Cebu City: flood control and waste management.
“Ang gitan-aw nato didto ang duha ka major items: ilang flooding plans and programs, ug ilang waste management — segregation and waste-to-energy,” the mayor said in an earlier interview.
He added that the visit also seeks to explore potential institutional partnerships that could assist the city.
Part of the delegation’s activities included engagements in Yokohama, where Cebu officials met with local counterparts to discuss circular development and sustainability initiatives.
In a separate statement, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said the visit strengthens Cebu’s partnership with Yokohama, which has supported the province over the past decade in areas such as waste segregation and sustainable urban development.
The delegation also toured waste-to-energy facilities at the Kanazawa Reclamation Industrial Area to study systems designed to reduce environmental impact through advanced exhaust gas treatment and energy exchange technologies.
Cebu City likewise reaffirmed its participation as a founding member of the Asia Circular Cities Declaration, signaling its commitment to long-term sustainability initiatives that could open access to funding from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank.
Alcover, however, maintained that the city government should prioritize immediate and concrete action to address mounting waste management concerns, including landfill limitations and the need for long-term disposal solutions. (LLP)
Photo by Chito Aragon
