CALLS to close the Binaliw landfill and block a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant drew a cautious response from Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera, who urged investigation and rehabilitation first before future decisions.
With residents of Barangay Binaliw demanding the permanent closure of the Cebu City landfill and rejecting proposals to build a WTE facility in their community, Garganera pushed for a step-by-step approach that prioritizes accountability, a full investigation, and rehabilitation of the dumpsite, even as he maintained that WTE remains a possible long-term solution to the city’s garbage crisis.
Garganera, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Monday, February 9, 2026, stressed that the January 8, 2026 trash slide that killed 36 people remains unresolved, noting that more than a month after the tragedy, there is still no definitive finding from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
He said the absence of clear answers has left both the community and policymakers in limbo.
“The first thing we need to do is focus on the pressing issue, one at the time of the investigation and the rehabilitation of the dumpsite. Until now, there is still no clear result from DENR, and that leaves everyone in float,” he said.
He emphasized that the immediate focus should be on the investigation and stabilization of the Binaliw dumpsite, which he said should still be treated as a crime scene.
The most appropriate step, he said, is for all stakeholders to conduct an on-site inspection to determine the current condition of the area, whether rehabilitation has begun, and what concrete interventions are in place to prevent another disaster.
Community trust broken
Garganera acknowledged the strong opposition from residents, saying the people of Binaliw are still grieving and deeply distrustful of new waste related proposals after what they have gone through.
He said the community had been “failed” by previous assurances made by the landfill operator and regulators, with the tragedy now literally “stained with the blood of 36 people.”
According to Garganera, this history makes it extremely difficult for residents to trust any new technology or approach, regardless of how it is presented.
He added that for the families living near the dumpsite, calls for new facilities feel premature and insensitive, especially with no closure yet on the investigation.
Because of this, he said discussions should first center on the status and direction of the DENR probe, including whether there is a clear outcome to expect and when rehabilitation of the dumpsite will actually begin.
Stabilizing the waste pile, he stressed, is critical to preventing another tragedy.
‘Crime scene’ and calls for executive session
Garganera reiterated that he does not support any move to resume operations at the Binaliw site at this point, describing it as a crime scene that must first be fully examined.
This, he said, is the reason he has called for an executive session at the City Council, to allow councilors to be briefed on developments involving Prime Waste Solutions, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-DENR), and the local government.
He said such a closed-door session is necessary to establish the facts surrounding the incident, the extent of regulatory oversight, and whether lapses occurred before and after the deadly slide.
Questions on how Binaliw was opened
Garganera also raised questions about the origins of the Binaliw landfill, pointing out that it was opened during the administration of former mayor and now Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña, despite numerous complaints from nearby communities and red flags flagged as early as 2017.
He said concerns raised by both residents and some members of the City Council at the time were allegedly left unanswered, even as operations continued.
This, he said, makes it difficult to understand why Osmeña would oppose a City Council investigation into the trash slide.
For Garganera, probing the incident is not about assigning blame prematurely, but about establishing accountability and ensuring the city does not repeat the same mistakes.
Osmeña, in a previous interview, said he was not against an investigation but maintained that the incident involved technical matters that go beyond the scope of public hearings.
WTE debate reignited
The renewed debate on WTE was triggered by remarks from Barangay Captain Vivian Ruste, who said she was open to hosting a WTE facility under certain conditions, as well as a proposal from Councilor Pastor Alcover to locate the facility at the existing Binaliw landfill.
These statements drew backlash from residents, who launched a signature campaign on February 8, exactly one month after the tragedy, calling for the closure of the landfill and rejecting any WTE project in their community.
While Garganera said he understands the resistance, he cautioned against dismissing all technologies outright, warning that doing so could leave the city with even riskier options.
He said that without WTE or similar technologies, Cebu City would continue relying on open dumpsites as the final destination for most of its waste.
‘Not all technology is evil’
Garganera maintained that solving the city’s garbage problem requires both sustainable technology and a serious behavioral shift among residents, particularly in waste segregation and recycling.
He warned that garbage mismanagement was not an abstract issue, pointing out that the trash that killed 36 people came from everyday waste that people failed to manage properly.
If this behavior does not change, he said, another disaster is inevitable.
While he emphasized that rehabilitation and investigation must come first, Garganera was firm about his position on long-term solutions.
If forced to choose between continuing with dumpsites or adopting WTE, he said he would choose a waste-to-energy solution.
Still, he stressed that discussions about future facilities should not overshadow the urgent task at hand.
For now, he said, the city’s priority must be to stabilize the Binaliw dumpsite, complete the investigation, and provide clear answers to a community still searching for justice. (CAV)