CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Despite objections from residents and environmental advocates, the Cebu City Council has formally urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region 7 to accelerate remedial measures and compliance actions to allow the Binaliw landfill to reopen.
The urgency stems from Cebu’s mounting garbage crisis following the landfill’s closure after the January 8, 2026 trash slide that killed at least 36 workers and a 1 rescuer, injured dozens, and prompted DENR to issue a Cease-and-Desist Order against operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, Inc. (PIWSI).
The council convened an executive session last Monday to tackle Cebu City’s worsening garbage disposal problem.
Officials discussed the impact of the landfill’s closure, the city’s costly interim scheme of hauling garbage to Aloguinsan, and the rehabilitation timeline presented by Prime Waste Solutions.
During the session, PIWSI representatives disclosed that rehabilitation works were already underway, including slope stabilization and drainage improvements.
They confirmed that some portions of their property could be readied for operations via interim cells by March if DENR permits, stressing that compliance with the Commitment Sheet was being prioritized to lift the Cease-and-Desist Order.
In the regular session, Councilor Dave Tumulak endorsed the February 5, 2026 letter from DENR-EMB Regional Director John Edward T. Ang.
The letter transmitted a Commitment Sheet containing data and information from a technical conference between DENR-EMB Region 7 and PIWSI, outlining rehabilitation and mitigation measures required for lifting the Cease-and-Desist Order.
As an off-shoot of the earlier executive session, Tumulak filed a corollary motion requesting DENR-EMB Region 7 to assist the Cebu City Government in recommending remedial measures or an alternative disposal site, while fast-tracking compliance so that landfill operations could resume by April 14, 2026—or earlier.
“I move to request the DENR-EMB 7 to assist and recommend to the Cebu City Government remedial measures or an alternative suitable disposal site in view of the Cease-and-Desist Order issued to Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, Inc. for the temporary closure of the Binaliw Landfill, and to fast-track compliance with rehabilitation and mitigation commitments so that the Cease-and-Desist Order may be lifted and landfill operations resume as soon as possible, given the urgency of the situation,” Tumulak said during the session.
Councilor Philip Zafra also relayed that Mayor Nestor Archival had informed him of portions of the landfill that could still be utilized, with PIWSI now working to meet DENR requirements. “Hopefully by March, it can be operational,” Zafra added.
The motion was carried without objection, however, the landfill’s reopening remains divisive.
Some residents of Barangay Binaliw and nearby communities, including parts of Consolacion, have long opposed its operations, citing risks of water contamination, ecological damage, and public safety hazards.
Following the trash slide, community members launched a signature campaign demanding permanent closure of the landfill and opposing new waste-to-energy projects in their area, declaring “Our home is not a sacrifice zone.”
Environmental advocates and engineers, speaking at a waste and climate justice forum, argued that the tragedy highlighted systemic failures in Cebu’s waste management system and warned against rushing the reopening without addressing longstanding issues such as poor drainage, infestations, and foul odor.
Adding to the political dimension, Mayor Nestor Archival has openly supported PIWSI’s bid to reopen the landfill, even through interim cells.
In remarks reported by The Freeman, Archival admitted that hauling garbage to Aloguinsan is “unsustainable,” with costs doubling.
“For now we have enough budget to haul to Aloguinsan in the next few months, but the cost is times two. Dako gyud kaayo, dili gyud ni siya sustainable,” Archival said before leaving for Japan.
He stressed that while segregation remains the city’s long-term solution, immediate relief hinges on DENR’s approval of PIWSI’s phased reopening.
| Written by Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/RAE
