Cebu pushes sewerage master plan

The Cebu Provincial Government and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) are pushing for the development of a Comprehensive Sewerage System Master Plan aimed at securing a sustainable future for Metro Cebu.

Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro said the initiative is no longer just a technical objective but a commitment to future generations.

“Ensuring a sustainable future for Metro Cebu is no longer just a technical goal but a shared promise to the next generation,” she said.

The project has entered its pre-feasibility stage, moving from initial discussions toward early development planning.

Officials stressed the urgency of the project, noting that while Metro Cebu has long focused on water supply, wastewater treatment remains a major challenge.

They emphasized that providing water is only half the task, while ensuring wastewater is properly treated before returning to the environment is equally important.

Under Presidential Decree 198 and the Local Government Code, water districts and local government units are mandated to provide safe drinking water and maintain environmental management systems.

MCWD chairman Ruben Almendras described the project as a massive undertaking that could take decades to complete.

“This project is so big and has such a long gestation period. It will go beyond our lifetime, but it is very important to do this now,” Almendras said.

He noted that while a septage treatment plant is already operational in areas such as Cordova, establishing a complete sewerage system for Metro Cebu would require significant time and investment.

Officials compared the initiative to Tokyo’s sewerage development, which reportedly took about 40 years to complete, adding that Metro Cebu’s full transformation may extend until 2086.

MCWD general manager Atty. John DX Lapid warned that delays in sanitation projects would leave an “environmental debt” for future generations.

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” Lapid said.

The Local Water Utilities Administration also warned that Metro Cebu faces the risk of a water crisis as population growth and urban development continue to increase demand.

Officials defined the looming crisis as water becoming “too little, too many, or too dirty.”

Baricuatro, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano, local government officials, and representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the City of Yokohama committed to pursuing infrastructure projects, ordinances, and investments needed to improve Metro Cebu’s environmental sustainability.