Binaliw landfill waste linked to severe water contamination in Consolacion

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Binaliw landfill’s waste discharge has allegedly severely impacted the water consumption and sources of residents in Brgy. Panoypoy, Consolacion town, northern Cebu

Employees clean up the remaining trash at the landfill located in Barangay Binaliw in this file photo.

This prompted the barangay captain to take action against the ongoing pollution crisis. He wanted to seek intervention from both local and city officials.

In an interview on August 28, Barangay Captain Ares Balaba of Panoypoy expressed his mounting frustration over the persistent water contamination issues in Purok Manao.

He attributed the problem to the operations of a materials recovery facility (MRF) and sanitary landfill in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City. These facilities, operated by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI), have allegedly been discharging untreated wastewater into the surrounding environment, leading to severe water pollution in the neighboring areas, including Panoypoy.

“Karon, magpatabang mi, mu file mi og resolution nga i-pass namo ni [Acting] Mayor [Raymond Alvin] Garcia. Magpatabang mi, adto sad mi didto sa mayor sa amoa didto sa lungsod sa Consolacion, muptabang sad mi nga makita nila ang sitwasyon diri sa Purok Manao nga perti najud ang tubig, di na gyud magamit,” Balaba said.

READ: PWS eyes legal action against former ARN shareholders

The captain highlighted the growing discontent among residents who have had to endure the daily burden of purchasing water due to the unsafe and contaminated supply.

He lamented that despite previous attempts to coordinate with PWSI and even bringing the matter to their office in July, no significant action has been taken to resolve the issue.

“Akong gipaabot nila ang concern sa katawhan, nga mao ra ang tubig wa unta na ingon ana kung wala maabot ang inyong negosyo diri sa among barangay. Dili sa barangay ng negosyaha, sa Cebu City na, ang epekto lang sa basura naa sa among barangay,” Balaba added.

Balaba recounted his efforts to work with PWSI, including coordinating with the company’s representatives to expedite the process of addressing the water contamination. However, these efforts have yielded no results, which leaves the community in a dire situation.

The residents have repeatedly requested that clean water be provided to Sitio Manao, but these pleas have gone unanswered.

“Buhian lang nila nga wala refine og ayo ang tubig… kinahanglan inig pagawas sa tubig limpyo na, i-proseso gyud na siya, ila mang buhian nga perting hugawa, kita man sa sapa nga padung sa amo. Mao gyud nay among problema gyud,” Balaba stated.

READ: Firm focuses on resource recovery in operation of Binaliw MRF

Preemptive evac underway for families in Binaliw sitio due to threats of landslide

In response to the situation, Balaba and the residents are planning to seek further assistance from their local mayor on Thursday. Their goal is to find a solution to the worsening water problem that has plagued their barangay for too long.

“Galisod ng mga tawo, musamot nag kalisod kay pait sa tubig. Mao unta ng pangitaan og paagi,” Balaba urged.

He also criticized the MRF operations, alleging that inspections have shown the facility to be non-functional and merely operating for show during evaluations.

According to Balaba, the facility has not been effectively managing the waste as intended, worsening the pollution problem in Panoypoy.

“Kanag MRF nila og naay inspection, paandaron, og wala wala na. Para lang mu function ilang MRF, wala gyud na ga function ang ilng MRF dira, drama-drama ra,” he said.

The complaints from Barangay Panoypoy add to the growing list of grievances against the Binaliw landfill.

On August 27, Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced that he would personally look into the allegations of foul odor and other environmental concerns surrounding the landfill. /clorenciana