Even if environmental restrictions are lifted, Cebu City can’t dump garbage in Binaliw yet

Local

CEBU CITY Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. said that the potential lifting of environmental restrictions on the Binaliw landfill will not lead to an immediate return of the city's garbage to the facility.

Instead, operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS) must still participate in and win the city’s standard public bidding process.

Archival clarified this on Thursday, Aug. 13, as the city awaited PWS’ completion of corrective measures required by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau-Central Visayas (DENR-EMB 7).

The mayor said PWS representatives told city officials that they were working to complete the requirements within August.

“Ang Binaliw, ga-estorya mi sa representative sa Prime Waste yesterday with Secretary (Vince) Dizon. Ilang ipaninguha nga katong mga i-rectify sa EMB-7, ilang i-rectify. Nag-goal sila nga within August, makompleto na nila,” he said.

But even if PWS completes those requirements and secures a full lifting order, Archival said the city cannot simply resume sending its garbage to Binaliw.

The company must first win a city contract through bidding.

“The moment man gud nga ila na ma-rectify, ang sunod, ato pa man nang i-bidding. Oh, dili in-ana nga dayon-dayon...” Archival said.

Archival said the city would then have to process and complete the procurement steps before garbage disposal at Binaliw could resume.

When asked how long the process could take, Archival said:

“I-process, i-bidding, i-pass, so another two weeks,” he said.

The clarification comes as PWS continues to work toward the full reopening of the Binaliw landfill, which has remained under environmental restrictions following the deadly Jan. 8 landfill collapse.

The disaster killed 36 people, according to previous reports, and prompted authorities to halt landfill operations while regulatory and safety requirements underwent review.

During a Cebu City Council executive session on Tuesday, Aug. 11, PWS general manager Niño Abellana Jr. said the company was not deliberately preventing Cebu City from using the landfill.

Abellana said the facility’s limited waste acceptance stemmed from a partial cease and desist order issued by the DENR-EMB.

“As far as I’m concerned, we’re just really waiting for the full lifting order of EMB. Nothing else,” Abellana told the council.

When asked whether the city had been barred from using the landfill, he answered: “No, wala gyud na. That’s not true.”

PWS said its interim cell was operating under a partial lifting order that limited the amount of waste it could receive. The company has also been working on a larger main cell intended to accommodate a significantly greater volume of waste.

The operator has been completing safety and environmental requirements following the landfill collapse, including measures such as gas vents, rain gauges and geotechnical analysis.

The procurement issue adds another layer to the city’s effort to bring its garbage back to Binaliw.

Abellana told the council that PWS had previously participated in the city’s bidding for garbage disposal but was disqualified during post-qualification after failing to upload some required documents to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, or PhilGEPS.

“We were disqualified, sir. Na-disqualify mi over some certain documents that we were not able to upload at PhilGEPS,” Abellana said.

The company later opted not to participate in succeeding bidding rounds while it focused on rehabilitating the landfill and securing the necessary regulatory clearances.

PWS has indicated that it remains willing to participate in future bidding once the regulatory issues are addressed.

This means the reopening of Binaliw involves two separate hurdles: regulatory clearance from the DENR-EMB and a successful procurement process with the Cebu City Government.

Clearing the first does not automatically clear the second.

While Binaliw remains unavailable for the city’s garbage, Cebu City continues to haul its waste to Aloguinsan at a substantially higher cost.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña previously said the city spends about P2 million daily for the hauling operation, with the current rate at around P3,000 per ton compared with the previous P1,100-per-ton rate at Binaliw.

The city’s current allocation for the alternative disposal arrangement could run out by mid-October. If Binaliw remains unavailable, the city could need an additional P122 million to sustain garbage disposal operations through the end of the year.

The city also has about P130 million in previous obligations to PWS. Abellana, however, clarified during the council session that payment of the amount does not serve as an absolute condition for the company to accept Cebu City’s garbage.

In the meantime, Archival said the city’s path back to Binaliw remains a process rather than an immediate switch.

PWS must first complete the requirements imposed by environmental regulators. The DENR-EMB must then fully lift the restrictions. After that, the city still needs to conduct and complete its own bidding process.(TGP)