Months after landslide killed 36, halt order on Cebu landfill ‘partially lifted’

CEBU, Philippines – Months after a landslide at the Binaliw Sanitary Landfill killed 36 people, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) confirmed in a press release on Friday, May 1, that it has partially lifted its cease and desist order against landfill operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Incorporated.

On January 8, a garbage mound at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City, estimated to be about 20 storeys high, collapsed. A total of 36 individuals were killed while 18 were injured.

On January 12, DENR issued the halt order against the landfill’s operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Incorporated (PIWSI). 

According to the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Central Visayas, the reason for the partial lifting of the halt order was that the company was able to meet key remediation and operational commitments.

EMB Central Visayas Director John Edward Ang said that the decision balanced environmental safeguards with practical necessity. 

“Cebu has an urgent need for a functional waste disposal facility to handle the city’s waste, and our decision followed a careful evaluation of the company’s compliance measures,” Ang added.

Months after the trash slide incident in January, waste management expenses in Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu City skyrocketed due to a lack of alternative disposal facilities. 

In March, Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival said in a public advisory that the city government may have to spend up to P2 billion for the hauling of waste to a waste management facility in Aloguinsan town — more than 60 kilometers away from the capital city.

The partial lifting is conditional on the landfill operator’s continued adherence to the agreed rehabilitation plan and other mitigation measures, the DENR stressed.

“Local officials were advised that monitoring and further compliance checks will continue as the facility completes stabilization and site restoration work,” the DENR said in their press release.

LGU not informed

Cebu City officials said in a SunStar Cebu article that they were “left in the dark” on why the Binaliw landfill was allowed to resume operations. They questioned why they did not receive any notification on the partial lifting of the DENR’s halt order against the landfill operator.

“During our executive session [on April 28], the City Council was surprised to learn that the Binaliw Landfill had resumed operations just three months after the incident,” Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said in a social media post.

Garganera stressed that the city government has yet to receive DENR’s final report on the Binaliw landfill collapse in January.

“Without this report, the site should still be treated as a crime scene and only disturbed for rehabilitation and hazard removal,” Garganera concluded.

Prior to the events of the landfill landslide, the Binaliw landfill faced several controversies, ranging from communities filing complaints against the landfill for affecting air and water quality in their neighborhood to allegations of illegal quarrying and environmental law violations.

Prime Waste manager Niño Abellana Jr. confirmed to officials during the April 28 executive session that landfill operations had resumed. Abellaña said that they are only accepting no more than 50 metric tons of waste a day from only private establishments.

ECC amendment

According to the DENR, the Central Visayas EMB office issued on March 31 an amendment to the Binaliw landfill’s environmental compliance certificate (ECC), allowing additional engineered components to strengthen the facility’s operational safety. 

“These include the development of a new cell at the toe of the landfill (approximately 14,000 square meters with a capacity of 90,524 metric tons) and an interim cell (2,746 square meters with a capacity of 19,470.83 metric tons), among other enhancements,” the DENR said.

The DENR noted that the Cebu City government issued a certification to the EMB, expressing its consent to the proposed operational modifications and rehabilitation strategies necessary for the facility’s recommissioning. 

“This was further supported by the Sangguniang Bayan through Resolution No. 17-2624-2026,” DENR added.

The DENR clarified that it was the Cebu City council that sought the assistance of DENR in February to expedite the landfill operator’s compliance with rehabilitation requirements and safe resumption of the Binaliw landfill operations. – Rappler.com