No takers for Cebu City trash: Garbage bid fails anew

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City’s latest attempt to secure a solid waste disposal facility failed after no bidder participated in the fourth scheduled bidding on September 10, leaving the city government with no option but to continue hauling most of its garbage to Aloguinsan at steep daily costs.

The city had hoped Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PrimeWaste), operator of the Binaliw Landfill, would participate, particularly since its facility is located within the city.

However, PrimeWaste has yet to resume operations despite the full lifting of the cease-and-desist order on the Binaliw landfill last month.

Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Mayor Nestor Archival, outlined the city’s repeated attempts to secure a disposal contract during yesterday’s press briefing.

“Regarding Binaliw, last May 5, 2026, PrimeWaste participated in the bidding, but they were disqualified because their PhilGEPS registration had expired,” Siasar said.

The city government reopened the bidding process, but no bidder participated in the succeeding rounds.

“July 2, 2026, there were no bidders….July 21, 2026, again no one participated…. September 10, 2026, still no bidders….So, out of the four scheduled bidding dates we provided, no one participated,” Siasar added.

He confirmed that September 10 was the last scheduled bid opening.

“Yes, that was the fourth scheduled opening, but no one appeared or submitted a bid,” he said.

Asked whether another round would be held and whether PrimeWaste had expressed interest, Siasar said, “As of now, I do not know if they will participate on a fifth attempt, but hopefully, they will.”

For now, the city government continues to haul its garbage to Aloguinsan, except for waste brought to the city’s eco-stations.

“In the meantime, we are contemplating continuing to use Aloguinsan as our disposal area,” Siasar said.

Budget concerns

Siasar said the city is considering reallocating the P99 million originally intended for Binaliw landfill tipping fees to cover the higher cost of hauling and disposal in Aloguinsan.

“We are considering reallocating the ?99 million originally intended for the Binaliw landfill tipping fees to supplement the budget for Aloguinsan. If we reallocate that ?99 million, our budget will last until the first week of December,” Siasar said.

If the city cannot secure a nearer disposal facility, it may need another supplemental budget to sustain garbage disposal operations through the end of the year.

“Our concern is funding for the remaining weeks of December through the end of the year...That is why we are contemplating requesting a ?100 million supplemental budget to ensure continuous operations if PrimeWaste does not participate,” Siasar said, reiterating an earlier pronouncement by Archival.

Siasar said the city is currently generating about 700 tons of garbage daily, although some of it is diverted through the eco-stations.

Asked about Aloguinsan’s capacity to accommodate Cebu City’s garbage, he said, “I am not privy to the specific limit, but all the garbage generated by Cebu City is currently being brought to Aloguinsan. From the 700 tons generated daily, we divert around 40 to 50 tons through the eco-stations established by the Mayor. So, we are hauling less than 700 tons daily to Aloguinsan. However, the eco-station can only process segregated garbage, which helps reduce the volume sent to the landfill.”

Binaliw safety issues

The uncertainty over Binaliw comes amid continuing concerns over the landfill’s safety.

During the Cebu City Council’s ocular inspection following the full lifting of the cease-and-desist order, the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) stopped short of declaring the facility fully compliant, citing unresolved issues involving slope stabilization, methane venting and leachate management.

The OBO and CDRRMO said rehabilitation works were ongoing but the facility could not yet be considered fully compliant with safety standards.

Siasar also confirmed that the City Council had passed a resolution asking the Environmental Management Bureau-7 (EMB-7) to explain its absence during an executive session.

“We are currently awaiting their response,” he said.

Last week, the council also approved a resolution authored by Councilor Harry Rosales Eran requiring strict safeguards in any future contract for waste disposal at Binaliw.

The resolution noted that although the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had lifted its cease-and-desist order, the landfill may accept only residual waste in designated toe-cell and interim-cell areas, with a maximum capacity of 500 tons per day.

The facility would also remain subject to rehabilitation, slope stabilization, CCTV monitoring and regular oversight by the Multipartite Monitoring Team.

“The lifting of a regulatory order does not, by itself, authorize the Cebu City Government to resume waste disposal at the Binaliw sanitary landfill without a valid, duly procured, and properly executed contract,” the resolution states.

The Binaliw landfill, once the city’s primary disposal site, collapsed on January 8, 2026, killing 36 people. — (FREEMAN)