January 16 – A day of mourning for Binaliw victims

We join the Archdiocese of Cebu and the Cebu City Government in remembering the Binaliw victims for the “Day of Mourning” this Friday, January 16, 2026. As of January 14 morning, 18 deaths have been confirmed, with 12 injured and 25 missing as of January 13 morning

Let us all pray together for all missing to be rescued alive soonest, with God’s grace. May the injured heal soon/completely. May the families of the Binaliw victims also be embraced by God’s strength and comfort during these difficult days.

Cebu Archbishop Abet has asked “all parishes in the Archdiocese to offer all Masses on this day for the victims of the tragedy, their grieving families and loved ones and may the Lord grant eternal rest to those who have died and comfort to those who mourn.”

Let us all join in continuing prayers that the families of the Binaliw victims be comforted by these words from 1 Samuel 2:8 – “He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, to seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.”

The City Council has requested the mayor’s office for a mass to be served at the BInaliw gymnasium to “serve as a collective prayer and remembrance, particularly for families still awaiting word on their missing relatives.”

We welcome Cebu’s solemn and fitting mourning and remembrance for the Binaliw victims and their families before the annual Fiesta Seπor and the Sinulog Festival this Sunday, January 18.

We welcome the timely call of Cebu Archbishop Abet and the City Council for the January 16 Day of Mourning, a much-needed response to the serious/sensitive Fb reminder of Cebu photojournalist Jacqueline Hernandez for “pause, for silence” as the BInaliw tragedy “is not just an accident but a failure of safety, accountability, and compassion” and that “until every worker is found, every family is heard, this tragedy more than words, deserves mourning, justice, and action.”

Here are some highlights of Cardinal Pablo “Ambo” David’s 2-part FB post about UNSANITARY LANDFILLS which every Filipino should reflect/act upon:

Part One

“The tragedy in Cebu is not an accident. It is a warning of what happens when laws exist—but minds/habits remain unchanged.”

“Most “sanitary landfills” in the Philippines are dumpsites in disguise.

Under RA 9003, only residual waste—after segregation/composting/recycling—should go to landfills.

In reality, everything is mixed together: biodegradable/recyclable/toxic/industrial/medical waste.

The result: • Methane emissions that worsen climate change • Leachate that poisons soil, rivers, and coastal waters • Public health risks, especially for poor communities • Food insecurity.

This is climate injustice. This is a public health crisis.

The biggest missing link in the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act: EDUCATION, FORMATION, CONSCIOUSNESS-RAISING.

LGUs spend billions hauling and dumping garbage— but invest almost nothing in teaching people how not to produce it.

If the largest portion of solid waste budgets were spent for sustained public education/household-level waste segregation/composting/recycling training, solid waste would be reduced to a bare minimum.

Citizens: practice waste segregation at home/demand separate collection/hold LGUs accountable.

LGUs: shift budgets from dumping to education/enforce RA 9003 fully/close unsanitary landfills.

DENR & regulators: stop approving projects that violate environmental laws.

This is not just about garbage. It is about health/climate justice/and the future of our children.”

Part Two – “What’s wrong with “sanitary landfills” in the Philippines?

Almost everything.

To begin with, the sanitary landfill was conceived precisely to replace unsanitary dumpsites, which RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) explicitly declares illegal.

But in reality, in most parts of the Philippines, everything is mixed together: biodegradables/recyclables/residuals/toxic/industrial/medical waste—lahat halo-halo.

So what we call “sanitary landfills” are, in truth, unsanitary landfills—dignified dumpsites that fill up quickly precisely because they accept everything.

At what point do we finally say that unsanitary landfills and reckless reclamation projects are criminal acts?

We often boast that the Philippines has excellent, does not lack environmental laws.

What it lacks is serious enforcement, political will, and ecological education.

The painful truth is this: hardly any LGU is fully compliant.

Corruption in our country is not only moral, it is also material— leaking into our soil/water/food/bodies.

The tragedy that happened in Cebu is not an isolated incident. It is a warning.

Until we learn what SANITARY truly means—and enforce it with honesty/courage— the same tragedy is bound to happen again, anywhere in the country.