City Council ‘blindsided’ by landfill resumption

CEBU, Philippines —  While scrutiny continues to unfold over the disputed Binaliw Landfill, a seemingly quite partial resumption of operations came as a surprise to the Cebu City Council, an action that the body and other officials claimed they were blindsided with.

The admission from Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, Inc. (PIWSI) came in the middle of an executive session yesterday, amidst the continuing investigation and rehabilitation of the facility following the January 8 trash slide that killed 36 people and forced the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to issue a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO).

Councilor Francis Esparis first uncovered the development when he asked PIWSI Manager Niño Abellana Jr. if the company had resumed operations.

Abellana confirmed: “Actually yes, naa na miy gidawat,” explaining that less than 50 metric tons of waste from private firms such as Ayala and Sta. Lucia had been accepted over the past three days.

Esparis, visibly surprised, replied: “Naa lagi gidawat.”

Councilor Joel Garganera, chairman of the Committee on Environment of the city council, and other members were caught off guard by the admission.

Garganera pressed: “Asa? Unsay gidawat ninyo? Wala lagi ko kaibaw ana… so nag operate na diay mo ron?”

Abellana explained that PIWSI had been granted a partial lifting of the CDO by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) regional office, allowing operations through an interim holding cell while waiting for Cebu City’s bidding process.

He added that the interim cell was being used to “reevaluate traffic schemes” and test operational adjustments.

“Amo lang siya nga gi-try from private companies while waiting for the bidding activity sa Cebu City. Amo pud gi-evaluate ang traffic scheme in the event nga mobalik si Cebu City sa amoa ug makadaog mi sa bidding,” Abellana said.

Garganera then questioned the timing of the resumption, emphasizing that the site remains under scrutiny and is still considered a “crime scene” after claiming 36 lives, with affected families continuing to seek accountability.

“Wala pa man na mahuman ang imbestigasyon, ongoing pa atong rehabilitation, taas pa kaayo ang basura, and now you are preparing to accept fresh garbage? How can you assure the safety sa atong garbage truck drivers?” Garganera said.

In addition to the partial lifting of the CDO, Abellana said PIWSI had secured the necessary permits, including a business permit from the Business Permit and Licensing Office and an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

“Wala lang na gihatag sa amoa nga dali-dali lang. We have had multiple meetings with DENR, including frequent site visits, inspections, and corrections,” he added.

Despite these assurances, council members raised concerns over the lack of prior notice, stressing that the city government should have been properly informed given the scale of the facility and the unresolved issues hounding its operations.

Garganera and other councilors noted that they had not received any official documentation on its resumption of operations. PIWSI, however, maintained that it was in the process of informing stakeholders, including the local government.

“It was just very recent. We are still in the process of informing everyone, including the LGU. Naunhan lang ta ani atong session karon,” Abellana explained.

He further explained that the termination occurred immediately after the issuance of the CDO, which means that PIWSI was operating only for private clients.

Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) officials, for their part, also admitted that they, too, had not been furnished with any official documentation about the reopening.

They said they were unaware of the partial lifting order and had not received a copy of the ECC amendment authorizing the interim cell.

Garganera also inquired whether Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival had been informed of the reopening, to which Abellana responded that he would need to verify.

This left both the council and CCENRO blindsided, despite CCENRO being the city’s primary environmental office tasked with monitoring landfill operations and ensuring compliance with Republic Act 9003.

The councilor further questioned DENR-7 Solid Waste Management Coordinator John Roy Kyamko on the lack of communication with local authorities.

“Is it a normal practice sa inyong office nga apil mi’s problema, pagkadihili ana, tang puwersa namo sa response team naa mi tanan didto unya karon mag-operate nasad mo, wala mi ninyo pahibaw-a? Sakto ba na nga pamatasan?”, Garganera lamented.

Kyamko clarified that the clearance allows operations only within a designated “interim cell” and not the entire landfill. He added that a copy of the ECC amendment had been sent to both the Cebu City Council and CCENRO, although the latter said it had yet to receive the document.

He emphasized that operations are limited to a designated safe zone and comply with regulatory requirements.

PIWSI also assured the council that it is not currently accepting waste from any local government units, as no contracts are in place.

Councilor Paul Labra stressed the protocol, highlighting that it includes a responsibility to inform the city, especially the city council.

“Nakahuna huna ba mo sa inyong responsibilidad pag inform sa city? Delicadeza na lang unta sa pagpahibaw… nasurpresa mi sir, labi na gyud ang konseho,” said Labra.

Councilor Pastor Alcover added: “Wa gyud miy kalibutan nga nag partial operation na sila.”

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña left the session without comment, visibly frustrated.

Councilor Andales reminded the chamber: “We don’t have a contract with them right now”.

Abellana then defended PIWSI’s actions, saying the company was operating under close DENR monitoring and backed by permits.

“We’re given the business permit, ECC, as well as the partial CDO lifting. We have to abide by the conditions of those.”

He insisted the interim cell was safe, citing seismic activity as the primary cause of the January disaster and framing it as a “natural event” rather than operational negligence.

PIWSI promised to furnish copies of the DENR order and management reports, while stressing that their rehabilitation plan included both the development of a new main cell and interim holding areas.

The January 8 tragedy remains fresh in public memory.

A massive trashslide buried workers and nearby staff housing, killing 36 and injuring dozens of the facility’s workers.

The DENR immediately issued a CDO against PIWSI, citing towering garbage heaps and poor waste management that violated safety standards.

The closure forced Cebu City into a waste emergency, relying on temporary dumping in Consolacion and Aloguinsan, which strained capacity and doubled costs.

“Dako kaayo ni siya nga man made disaster o kalamidad nga nahitabo sa atoa. Bisan naman lang pagpahibaw sa dakbayan nga nibalik namo… mao man gyud nay pangutana. Wa lang gyud mo nakapahibalo,”Garganera summed up their frustrations.

With families of victims still seeking justice, the council emphasized that full transparency is essential to ensure accountability and prevent another tragedy. — (FREEMAN)