City Council wants landfill inspected

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has ordered an ocular inspection of the Binaliw landfill and other facilities bidding to handle the city’s solid waste after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lifted the cease-and-desist order against Prime Integrated Waste Solutions.

The move followed the approval of a resolution authored by Councilor Joel Garganera, chairperson of the council’s committee on environment.

The resolution mandates the inspection and assessment of all facilities participating in the bidding process before the city makes its final selection.

It requires the inspection to cover the facilities’ capacity, infrastructure, safety measures, environmental safeguards, permits and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The resolution further provides that the findings and recommendations arising from the inspections shall form part of the evaluation and bidding process. It also emphasizes that the final choice of a disposal facility must take into account not only Cebu City’s waste management needs but also the health, safety, welfare and environmental protection of the host local government unit and its constituents.

Copies of the resolution were furnished to the Office of the Mayor, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and other concerned offices for implementation.

Cebu City has been forced to dispose of its garbage outside its borders since the deadly trash slide at the Binaliw landfill last January, which killed 36 people and injured 18. The DENR immediately ordered the landfill closed.

With Binaliw shut down, Cebu City initially hauled its waste to Consolacion but later transferred to Aloguinsan.

The city has since used the South Road Properties and, later, the Cebu City Quarantine Center as temporary transfer stations before hauling the waste to its final disposal site. These arrangements have been costly, with the city spending millions on hauling and disposal.

In May, the DENR partially lifted its order, allowing limited activities at the landfill under close monitoring. Cebu City, however, was not allowed to return to Binaliw because PrimeWaste did not participate in the bidding process, saying it would only do so once the cease-and-desist order was fully lifted.

On August 13, 2026, the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 7 fully lifted the order, citing the operator’s compliance with rehabilitation measures.

The lifting came with strict conditions, including a daily cap of 500 tons of waste, slope stabilization and benching, the installation of CCTV cameras, the creation of buffer zones and the continuation of rehabilitation work.

Following the latest development, Garganera moved for the City Council, together with structural engineers from the OBO, personnel from CCENRO and the Disaster Office, to conduct an ocular inspection of the Binaliw landfill and other prospective bidders as a form of pre-qualification before the city returns to any disposal facility.

“That’s just to ensure safety and also the capacity and environmental compliance of the said facility,” Garganera said.

After the inspection, Garganera said the council will also hold an executive session with PrimeWaste, CCENRO, the OBO, the Disaster Office and the DENR-EMB to discuss the results.

The EMB is expected to explain the technical aspects of how PrimeWaste is allowed to operate while rehabilitation work at the landfill is ongoing. — /FPL (FREEMAN)