Cebu City won’t dump garbage at reopened Binaliw landfill just yet

Local

CEBU City will not resume dumping waste at the Binaliw landfill without firm safety guarantees, Mayor Nestor Archival said Monday, May 4.

The mayor denied prior knowledge of its reported reopening and moved to impose interim safeguards through an executive order.

In a press conference, Archival said the city had not yet sent garbage to the facility and would hold off until clear protection measures are in place for workers and haulers.

“Dili pa mi maglabay og basura didto,” he said. “Atong buhaton karon, we will make sure the safety sa mga tawo, drivers and workers nga naa gyud sa klaro.”

The mayor said he is preparing an executive order that will establish interim safety measures, emphasizing that operations will not proceed unless compliance is ensured, even after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) partially lifted its cease-and-desist order (CDO) on the landfill.

“Not yet. Dili gyud unless complied,” Archival said, referring to any possible resumption of waste disposal at the site.

He also pushed back against reports that landfill operations had already resumed, clarifying that what may have taken place were limited “testing” activities by operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PIWSI), not full-scale acceptance of city waste.

“I don’t think nag-operate sila,” he said. “There’s a report nga nag-open sila, pero unsaon nako pag-ingon ana kung wala ko kabalo?”

“It’s not true nga naglabay na ta karon,” he added. “They just said it’s ready for opening. Basin nag-testing lang sila.”

Archival’s statements come after members of the Cebu City Council expressed surprise over PIWSI’s admission during an executive session that it had begun accepting limited waste from private firms following a partial lifting of the CDO.

Councilor Joel Garganera, chair of the council’s environment committee, and other officials said they were not informed of the development, raising concerns over transparency and safety, especially as the site remains under investigation after the January 8 trashslide that killed 36 people.

PIWSI earlier said it accepted less than 50 metric tons of waste from private entities over several days, using an interim holding cell authorized under DENR conditions to test operational adjustments, including traffic flow.

The company maintained that it secured the necessary permits, including an Environmental Compliance Certificate amendment and a business permit, and that operations remain under close DENR monitoring.

Still, councilors questioned the timing and lack of notice.

They stressed that the city government should have been properly informed given the scale of the facility and the unresolved issues surrounding its rehabilitation.

Amid concerns over Cebu City’s waste situation, Archival downplayed talk of a garbage crisis, pointing to generally clean main roads while acknowledging gaps in collection at the barangay level.

“Ayaw gamita ang term nga crisis, kay dili na maayo paminawon para sa siyudad,” he said.

He added that the city continues to do its best to maintain cleanliness, while urging the public to help reduce improper waste disposal.

“Ang atong mga dalan limpyo man,” he said.

He noted that complaints may stem from localized collection issues in some barangays.

The mayor also flagged that Cebu City’s temporary dumping arrangement in Aloguinsan may soon reach its limit, as the contract there depends on a set tonnage cap expected to be consumed by the second week of May.(TGP)