TWO local government units in Cebu Province have agreed to temporarily accept Cebu City’s garbage following a tragedy that shut down the city's main disposal site.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro announced on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, that Aloguinsan and Toledo City will take in the waste. This decision comes after a landslide at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City on January 8 tragically killed 36 people. The landfill remains closed while authorities check if it is safe to operate.
New locations for disposal
Governor Baricuatro confirmed that Aloguinsan Mayor Cesare Ignatius “Ig-Ig” Moreno has approved the use of the San Rafael Sanitary Landfill as the main site for disposal. Toledo City is also preparing a second site, which officials expect to be ready by April.
Provincial Administrator Joseph Felix Mari “Ace” Durano said in a previous report that collection will initially focus on waste from Capitol-owned properties. Deliveries will follow a strict schedule or be limited to up to 100 cubic meters per trip.
According to Baricuatro, the closed Binaliw landfill might still serve as a transfer point before trucks haul the garbage to the new sites in Aloguinsan and Toledo.
Urgent repairs ordered
Before Binaliw can even serve as a transfer station, it requires major repairs. During an executive session with the Cebu City Council on Wednesday, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 outlined strict requirements for the operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc.
Environmental Management Bureau 7 Director John Edward Ang said the operator must take emergency steps to stabilize the land. These steps include:
Analyzing the stability of the slopes.
Controlling liquid runoff (leachate).
Creating buffer zones for safety.
Ang warned that the growing amount of trash in the staging area has increased the risk of another slope collapse. He ordered the operator to immediately reduce the waste piled there.
Other safety requirements include covering active dumping areas with soil daily, capping unused sections, and installing a gas management system to protect public health.
Inspectors have observed ongoing engineering work at the site, which could allow it to eventually function as a transfer station. However, Director Ang did not give a specific date for when it might reopen.
A history of issues
The safety orders come in the wake of the January 8 collapse that buried workers and claimed 36 lives. Search and recovery operations officially ended on January 17.
The 20-hectare Binaliw landfill served Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu-Lapu City. Even before the tragedy, residents had complained about bad smells and sanitation problems starting in 2023. Following the collapse, the DENR issued a cease and desist order, and Cebu City declared a state of calamity.
Racing against time
City officials are now under pressure to finalize these new plans quickly. The city’s current permission to dump garbage in Barangay Polog, Consolacion, is set to expire on Feb. 15 — giving them less than a month to transition.
Questions are also rising regarding whether the Binaliw landfill was following regulations. Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera asked if the site had already exceeded its allowed operating life. DENR records estimated the landfill had a five-year lifespan starting in 2020. This suggests its environmental compliance certificate (ECC) may have already expired.
“Whatever is stated in the ECC should be complied with,” Garganera stated.
Looking for long-term solutions
Moving forward, officials in Aloguinsan plan to install a waste-to-energy facility at the San Rafael Sanitary Landfill. This project is pending approval from the DENR and the Department of Science and Technology. Provincial leaders hope this will provide a long-term solution that also produces alternative energy.
Director Ang, who assumed office on Jan. 21, noted that violation notices had previously been issued against the Binaliw operator. He added that the DENR Central Office has now launched a nationwide review of all operating sanitary landfills to prevent a repeat of the Binaliw tragedy. (ANV, CAV)