Binaliw landfill collapse: Operator helps the affected, backs probes

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Prime Waste Solutions (PWS) Cebu on Wednesday said it has extended financial assistance, psychosocial support, and burial aid to families of workers affected by the deadly Binaliw landfill collapse.

Authorities continue retrieval operations as they investigate the cause of the incident following the January 8 collapse at the PWS facility in Barangay Binaliw.

READ: Jan. 16 Masses offered for Binaliw tragedy victims

Medical, burial, other costs

PWS Cebu, in a statement issued January 14, said it has covered the medical expenses of injured workers and burial costs of fatalities. The company also provided psychosocial services to affected families.

PWS Cebu said it shares in the grief of the families and loved ones affected by the incident and acknowledged the tragedy’s “profound impact on the community.”

READ: Cebu City: Prime Waste must update families, answer questions

The company said it immediately activated its Emergency Response Team after the incident. Meanwhile, it has been working closely with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, national response units, and private partners to carry out intensive but safe search and retrieval.

Possible causes of collapse

Based on initial assessments by city officials and experts, PWS Cebu said a combination of seismic activity and prolonged heavy rainfall may have triggered the collapse. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake had struck Cebu on Sept. 30, 2025 with ensuing aftershocks, while typhoon Tino in early November brought extreme rains.

The company said it conducts regular inspections of its landfill cells and that, prior to the collapse, the affected cell showed no visible signs of weakening, such as cracks or abnormal leachate outflows.

“We are actively working with experts and authorities for a comprehensive investigation,” PWS Cebu said.

Operations at the Binaliw facility remain suspended as retrieval efforts continue.

Confined to facility

The company said the incident is confined within the landfill’s area and did not affect surrounding communities.

But PWS Cebu also said it is fully complying with the cease-and-desist order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

It has committed to implementing critical site measures, including clearing the Materials Recovery Facility building to allow safe debris removal, rehabilitating the affected landfill cell to restore stability, and capping and closing the impacted area.

Scrutiny, calls for accountability

The company issued its statement amid mounting public pressure and frustration among families of missing workers.

Cebu City officials, moreover, said the private landfill operator should be the one issuing clear, regular updates on the tragedy.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), previously said questions on liability, the actual status of missing workers, and whether operations had shifted from rescue to retrieval should be addressed directly by PWS, not the city government.

DENR must determine cause

“In terms of liability, we cannot yet say if this was man-made or a natural catastrophe,” Tumulak said.

“That is for the DENR, particularly the Environmental Management Bureau, to investigate.”

Tumulak said the CCDRRMC had urged the company to designate a spokesperson to provide consistent briefings, particularly for families directly affected by the collapse.

“There should be a person liable to answer these queries, especially to the families,” he said.

Probe underway

Following the collapse, DENR Central Visayas ordered a halt to landfill operations while allowing rescue, retrieval, and cleanup to continue.

The agency has directed the operator to submit a compliance plan within 90 days and said it will conduct a full technical investigation to determine responsibility.

DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla has also instructed the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the Binaliw facility.

That means a check of slope stability, drainage systems, and compliance with approved designs while working on long-term solid waste management solutions for Cebu.

Mayor Nestor Archival previously said the DENR must also be scrutinized for possible regulatory lapses, noting that the city government could not unilaterally shut down a landfill operating under an environmental compliance certificate issued by the national agency.

Long-standing concerns resurface

The deadly collapse has revived long-standing concerns over the landfill’s operations, including alleged violations of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, quarrying and other soil-disturbing activities, odor emission and wastewater leaks, and mounting waste.

PWS Cebu said that since acquiring the previously underdeveloped facility in 2023, it has been working to transform it into an advanced materials recovery facility by improving waste sorting and recycling systems and strengthening leachate and effluent management.

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