CEBU City’s budget for keeping its streets clean is under massive pressure following a deadly landslide that shut down its main landfill. The City is now paying significantly more to transport waste across the province, leading to a potential multi-million peso shortfall.
The massive cost of clean streets
Following the Jan. 8, 2026, trash slide at the Binaliw landfill — which tragically killed 36 people — the City has been forced to find a new place for its waste.
Before the tragedy, Cebu City spent about P1,100 per ton to dump 600 tons of garbage daily at the nearby Binaliw site. Now, the City must haul roughly 1,000 tons of waste every day to Aloguinsan, a town 61 kilometers away.
This move has caused costs to jump to P3,906 per ton. As a result, monthly expenses have exploded from P19.8 million to approximately P117.18 million.
A budget under pressure
The City’s current P500 million annual budget for waste management is no longer enough to cover these rising costs. If a cheaper solution isn't found soon, officials may have to dip into savings and unused funds from previous years just to keep the trash off the streets.
“To be honest, the budget is not enough. The P500 million allocation was computed when our landfill was still in Binaliw,” said Mayor Nestor Archival.
Nighttime logistics and traffic
Moving 1,000 tons of trash daily is a complex task. Because other towns along the route have complained about garbage trucks during the day, the City now runs a massive nighttime operation.
Trucks begin loading at a temporary site in the South Road Properties as early as 6 p.m. to beat an 8 p.m. truck ban.
“One of the challenges is that the trucks must be properly covered and drivers have to be very careful,” Mayor Archival explained. He noted that while the situation has improved because trucks are no longer lining up on main roads, the financial burden remains heavy.
Limited options for waste
The crisis has highlighted a lack of waste facilities in the region. Cebu City originally tried to use a landfill in Consolacion, but Mayor Archival declined the agreement because that facility was already overwhelmed by four other local government units. This left Aloguinsan as the only viable, though expensive, option.
The plan to reopen Binaliw
To stop the bleeding of city funds, the Cebu City Council is looking back at Binaliw. On Feb. 23, they passed a resolution asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to reopen a small three-hectare portion of the 17-hectare site.
The Binaliw site has been closed under a cease-and-desist order since the January accident. The private operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., is now seeking permission to resume operations under much stricter safety rules.
If the government allows the Binaliw site to partially reopen, the City could save millions. However, if the proposal fails, Mayor Archival warns that expenses could effectively double, leaving Cebu City in a difficult race to manage both its waste and its wealth. / CAV