Liloan residents push back against mandatory ₱12 garbage bags

New system also requires ₱200 stickers for bulky waste, with fines for violators.

Purok Kamansi residents in Liloan, Cebu, are pushing back against a new garbage collection system that will require them to pay for municipal garbage bags and stickers before their waste can be collected.

The new system, under Municipal Ordinance No. 42-2026 or the “Pay As You Throw, Garbage Bag System,” will apply to residents of Barangay Yati, where only garbage placed in official municipal bags will be collected. Each bag costs ₱12 and is sold exclusively through purok officers.

Households must also segregate their waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable categories, which could mean residents may need to purchase more than one bag for their garbage.

The ordinance also imposes a ₱200 sticker fee for every large household item scheduled for disposal, including refrigerators, stoves, sofa beds, electric fans, air-conditioning units, and washing machines.

No sticker means no collection, and ordinance violators will be fined an unspecified amount. Residents must secure the appropriate LGU sticker before requesting disposal.

The mandatory charges have drawn criticism from residents who said waste collection should not create another regular expense for households.

“₱12 for a single garbage bag? That’s already a lot, especially when households need more than one,” one commenter wrote, questioning why reusable grocery bags and rice sacks cannot be used for properly segregated waste.

Another resident questioned whether the garbage bag requirement actually addresses Liloan’s collection problems, arguing that the municipality should instead prioritize additional garbage trucks and greater collection capacity.

The local government said the ordinance is intended to address the growing volume of waste as Liloan’s population and number of businesses increase, while existing garbage fees have become insufficient amid rising collection and disposal costs.

It also cited the need to improve waste segregation and recycling and establish a more sustainable and equitable collection system.

One commenter called the policy a “money grab,” estimating that two ₱12 bags per household could generate ₱228,000 from Barangay Yati alone based on an estimated 9,500 households.

The new system is tentatively scheduled for implementation in October, leaving residents to adjust to the additional mandatory costs once the policy takes effect.

READ: