Archival willing to pay P130M debt to landfill

CEBU, Philippines — The administration of Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has expressed willingness to settle the P130 million in financial obligation of the previous administration to Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (Primewaste), provided all required documentation is in order.

Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff of Mayor Nestor Archival, said in a press briefing yesterday that the mayor has never blocked the payment. He emphasized that the Archival administration is prepared to settle the city’s obligations once the required paperwork is completed.

“Ang tanang mga accountabilities sa previous administrations, basta ang tanang dokumento in order lang, kompleto lang, wala gyud sya’y gipugngan,” Siasar said, identifying the debt as having accumulated during the terms of former mayors Michael Rama and Raymond Garcia.

“Kompleto man ang dokumento except naay signature nga atong kulang. The moment mapirmahan na sya, matagaan gyud na sya…So, as far as interest and willingness is concerned, willing ang atong administration ni Mayor Nestor Archival nga mobayad basta kompleto lang ang dokumento,” Siasar said.

One signatory, however, has been unable to affix the signature needed to process the payment because of an ongoing legal battle. Siasar did not disclose the identity of the official involved.

The issue surfaced during an executive session of the City Council last week where the city’s garbage crisis and the continuing closure of the Binaliw landfill was discussed.

Primewaste General Manager Niño Abellana Jr. clarified that the unpaid dues were incurred during the previous administration and that the Archival administration has already cleared its own obligations.

Some city councilors then urged Primewaste not to make the city’s unsettled debt a precondition for allowing the city to dispose of garbage at the Binaliw landfill.

They stressed that while contractual obligations must be met, the immediate priority is restoring access to the facility to avert a worsening garbage crisis.

Primewaste operates the Binaliw landfill but has been under a cease-and-desist order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) since the January 2026 trash slide that killed 36 people.

Siasar acknowledged that hauling garbage to Aloguinsan remains a “Band-Aid solution” but stressed that the administration is pursuing long-term measures. — (FREEMAN)