THE Cebu Provincial Government is constructing advanced membrane bioreactor (MBR) sewage treatment plants across eight Province-run hospitals to improve wastewater management and environmental sustainability.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, July 4, 2026, Capitol health consultant Elisse Nicole Catalan said the new systems use microorganisms to break down waste before passing the water through fine membranes to filter out solids. Catalan said the technology makes the purification process more efficient and requires less space than older systems.
Essential infrastructure
“A sewage treatment plant may not sound exciting, but for a hospital, it is basic, essential and non-negotiable,” Catalan said. She added that these support systems should have been prioritized long ago to ensure patient safety, infection prevention, sanitation, environmental compliance and the safety of surrounding communities.
Facility upgrades
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro led the groundbreaking ceremony for the P8.4-million eco-friendly facility at the Oslob District Hospital, the first of the eight sites to break ground. Similar facilities are under construction in Carcar, Argao, Minglanilla, Bantayan, Pinamungajan, Camotes and Tuburan. Aside from the waste infrastructure, the Oslob facility is undergoing an emergency room upgrade.
Audit findings
The infrastructure expansion follows a Dec. 3, 2025 SunStar Cebu report revealing that the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged Cebu Provincial Hospital–Balamban, Cebu Provincial Hospital–Carcar City, Isidro C. Kintanar Memorial Hospital–Argao and Minglanilla District Hospital for healthcare waste and wastewater disposal violations committed under the previous administration. In a Dec. 12, 2025 report, the Capitol outsourced medical waste operations for its 16 provincial hospitals to Cleanaway Philippines under a one-year contract for 2026 to address these compliance issues. Assistant Administrator Aldwin Empaces said the contract serves as an immediate corrective measure while the administration pursues a long-term plan to build a local treatment facility.
Waste management
Following an April 14, 2026 report on the illegal dumping of medical waste along a roadside in Barangay Cogon, Bogo City, Catalan said the Province is also exploring thermal decomposition as a method for managing medical waste. The new wastewater facilities are designed to treat daily hospital waste to ensure proper sanitation, patient safety and environmental compliance across the provincial healthcare network.
