Cebu City is grappling with a severe waste management crisis following the official conclusion of search and retrieval operations at the Binaliw sanitary landfill, which claimed 36 lives.
The disaster occurred on January 8, 2026, when a massive mountain of garbage—estimated to be as high as a 20-story building—collapsed onto the materials recovery facility and administrative offices of Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PIWS).
The final victim was recovered on January 18, bringing the official death toll to 36, with 18 others injured.
The tragedy has paralyzed waste disposal for Metro Cebu. In the wake of the collapse, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an immediate cease-and-desist order, shuttering the Binaliw facility—the primary destination for the city’s 1,000 tons of daily garbage.
Cebu City and neighboring local government units (LGUs), including Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, are now facing a logistical nightmare.
Waste is currently being diverted to a landfill in Consolacion, but officials warn this is a temporary fix with a 30-day limit.
Nearby municipalities have expressed strong opposition to hosting Cebu City’s trash, citing their own capacity limits and the environmental risks highlighted by the Binaliw disaster.
The Cebu City Council has declared a state of calamity, authorizing the release of ₱30 million to fund emergency hauling and stabilization efforts.
Initial assessments point to a “perfect storm” of factors: the residual effects of a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in late 2025, saturated soil from recent typhoons, and systemic negligence regarding the landfill’s height.
Council members and environmental groups had previously flagged the facility for exceeding safe capacity limits.
The DENR and the Cebu City Council have launched parallel probes into PIWS’s operations.
The city is also exploring the temporary reopening of the Inayawan landfill as a transfer station while seeking a long-term, sustainable solution to prevent a total public health failure.