RESCUERS battling adverse weather conditions recovered four more bodies at the Binaliw landfill on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, bringing the confirmed death toll from the massive landslide to 30.
Cebu City Councilor Dave
Tumulak reported that the retrieval operations, which began early Friday morning, recovered the 27th victim at 9:36 a.m. and the 28th at 12:10 p.m. By late afternoon, rescuers retrieved two more victims — an unidentified male and female — pushing the total to 30. As of Friday evening, 18 individuals have been rescued and treated, with 14 already discharged, while six people remain missing.
“Our rescuers want to recover everyone so the families can have closure and the team can finally head home,” said Tumulak, who chairs the City’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. The Bureau of Fire Protection Cebu City confirmed that heavy equipment is being used to stabilize the site, with operations continuing despite ongoing rains.
Mandaue City pledges support
The tragedy has prompted neighboring Mandaue City to take legislative action.
Mandaue City Councilor Carlo Fortuna announced that the City Council is set to pass a resolution extending condolences and financial assistance to the families of the deceased and injured.
Fortuna emphasized that Mandaue shares responsibility for the victims because the city’s waste is disposed of at the Binaliw facility. Furthermore, many of the landfill workers are Mandaue residents. “They are part of our city’s waste management system. If not for Mandaue’s waste, many of them would not have had jobs there,” Fortuna said, adding that Mayor Thadeo Jovito “Jonkie” Ouano is currently reviewing the legal framework for providing this financial aid.
The incident has also sparked a debate over the landfill’s operations. Fortuna, a former vice mayor, recalled that the original agreement with the operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., specified that the landfill would remain “flat.”
“But based on what we see in the videos now, it looks like a mountain,” Fortuna remarked, citing the massive volume of waste from various local government units.
In response to the disaster, Mandaue has requested its City Planning and Environment offices to submit updated waste management plans. Fortuna suggested that the incident serves as a wake-up call to transition away from traditional landfills.
“In case the landfill is closed, we need to be ready with alternatives — not just another landfill, but possibly revisiting waste-to-energy proposals to handle Mandaue’s waste,” he said. / EHP, ABC