DISASTER response operations often involve a delicate balance between technical realities and the emotional needs of grieving families. In the aftermath of the Binaliw landfill collapse, this balance has sparked a disagreement over how to classify the ongoing mission to find the final missing victim. The distinction dictates not only the operational approach but also the message sent to those waiting for news of their loved ones.
Status of the operation
The death toll from the Jan. 8, 2026, landslide at the Binaliw landfill has risen to 35 following the recovery of another body on Saturday, Jan. 17. According to Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, emergency teams are now focused on locating the single remaining person still unaccounted for. Fourteen survivors have been discharged from the hospital, while four remain admitted due to injuries sustained during the incident.
Operational context and environmental factors
The incident highlights the risks associated with waste management facilities operating under extreme environmental stress. Prime Waste Solutions (PWS) Cebu, the private operator, pointed to heavy rains and potential seismic activity as factors that may have triggered the collapse. The scale of the tragedy has necessitated a massive deployment of heavy machinery, including boom cranes, long-arm excavators and pulverizers, to navigate the unstable terrain and debris.
The importance of classification
The terminology used to describe the operation carries significant weight for the families involved. Search and rescue operations prioritize the possibility of locating survivors, maintaining a posture of hope. In contrast, retrieval operations imply that the window for survival has closed and the focus has shifted solely to recovering bodies. This distinction affects the morale of the rescuers and the emotional state of the families waiting for closure.
Divergent perspectives on the mission
A disagreement has emerged regarding the official status of the operation. In a press release issued on Jan. 14, PWS Cebu described their emergency response efforts as “intensive retrieval operations.”
Tumulak pushed back against the company’s choice of words, emphasizing that the City continues to treat the situation as a search and rescue mission.
“They are not in a position to make that declaration,” Tumulak said.
He argued that as long as uncertainty exists regarding the missing individual, reclassifying the mission would be unfair to families who still hope for their loved ones’ return.
“We know it’s difficult for the families. They want answers and they want closure. Our team is doing everything to make sure every step is taken carefully and safely,” he said.
Balancing transparency and privacy
The aftermath involves navigating data privacy concerns alongside public interest. PWS Cebu formally requested that the identities and addresses of victims remain confidential to protect the families’ privacy. Tumulak confirmed the City would respect these requests, noting that at least one family specifically asked that their relative’s name be withheld. The City is coordinating with the Office of the Mayor to ensure these privacy rights are upheld while maintaining accurate internal records for official use.
The psychological Impact
The disaster has created a psychological burden that extends beyond the victims’ families to the first responders. Authorities have engaged psychometricians to provide support for grieving relatives and to conduct briefings for rescue teams to help them cope with the trauma. Tumulak noted that rescuers are emotionally invested in the mission, often viewing the victims as family, which drives them to continue despite the physical danger and mental stress.
The path toward conclusion
The termination of search and rescue operations hinges on locating the final missing worker. Once that individual is found, the City will move to consolidate the names of all victims and personnel present during the collapse. This administrative step is intended to ensure transparency and accountability, serving as the basis for processing claims and distributing government aid as the city shifts focus toward long-term recovery.
In disaster management, the transition from “search and rescue” to “search and retrieval” is more than a change in terminology — it is a critical operational pivot that signals the end of hope for finding survivors. While technical protocols exist to guide this decision, the shift is often delayed by local officials to manage the profound emotional toll on families and communities.
The ongoing situation at the Binaliw landfill, where officials are maintaining a “rescue” status for the final missing individual, reflects a common pattern in Philippine disaster response: the technical timeline for survival often clashes with the human need for certainty.
The technical distinction
While the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council groups these activities under the “Search, Rescue and Retrieval” cluster, the operational phases are distinct.
Search and Rescue: The priority is life. Rescuers move cautiously to avoid causing further collapse that could crush survivors. They use K9 units, thermal scanners, and sensitive listening devices. Heavy equipment is used sparingly or merely to clear access for manual digging.
Retrieval: The priority shifts to the recovery of remains and site clearing. The assumption is that no survivors remain. Heavy machinery (backhoes, bulldozers) is used more aggressively to move debris. The pace quickens to address sanitation risks and restore normalcy to the area.
The “golden window” vs. reality
International standards typically cite the first 72 hours as the “golden window” for survival in collapsed structures. After three days, the likelihood of finding someone alive drops precipitously due to dehydration, injury, or lack of oxygen.
However, in the Philippines, this window is rarely strictly enforced. Incident commanders often extend the “rescue” phase well beyond 72 hours if there is even a sliver of ambiguity.
Case in Point: In the 2018 City of Naga, Cebu landslide, operations continued for weeks. While the “golden window” closed early, responders kept digging manually in specific sectors where signs of life had been reported, blurring the line between rescue and retrieval to exhaust every possibility.
Precedents:
When the status shifts
Looking at recent major landslides helps contextualize the Binaliw decision:
Maco, Davao de Oro (February 2024): Following a massive landslide that buried a mining village, authorities officially shifted from search and rescue to retrieval operations seven days after the incident. By then, the death toll had reached nearly 90, and the physical conditions of the site made survival impossible. The declaration was a formal signal to families that the focus was now solely on identification and burial.
Itogon, Benguet (September 2018): After typhoon Ompong triggered landslides killing dozens of miners, national officials, including then-presidential adviser Francis Tolentino, formally declared the shift to “purely retrieval” 10 days after the slide. The decision was based on the “absence of signs of life” and the need to speed up excavation in dangerous terrain.
Why the label matters
The friction between PWS and the Cebu City government over the term “retrieval” highlights the psychological weight of the classification.
For families, “rescue” implies action and possibility; “retrieval” implies finality and death. As seen in Binaliw, maintaining the “rescue” label — even when the technical probability of survival is near zero — is a tool used by local leaders to show solidarity with the grieving. It assures the public that the government has not “given up” on their citizens, preventing the anger that often erupts when operations are perceived as being rushed to clear the way for business as usual.
What comes next
1. In Binaliw, the “rescue” phase is effectively in its final stage. Once the last individual is accounted for — regardless of the outcome — the operation will technically conclude. The City will then transition to Post-Disaster Recovery, which involves:
2. Forensic Identification: Ensuring all recovered remains are correctly identified (often using DNA if visual identification is impossible).
3. Site Rehabilitation: Assessing the stability of the landfill to prevent future collapses.
4. Legal and Financial Settlement: The consolidated list of victims mentioned by Councilor Tumulak will become the primary document for insurance claims, employer liability and government financial assistance. / CAV