LAST year’s strong earthquake and the massive rainfall brought by typhoon Tino may have been key factors in the deadly collapse of the Binaliw landfill, according to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival.
As of 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, the incident has claimed four lives and left more than 30 people missing. Authorities continue to investigate the cause while search and retrieval operations remain ongoing. City Councilor Dave Tumulak reported that 50 people were affected in total, confirming four deaths, 12 injuries and 34 individuals still missing.
Tumulak noted that two victims have yet to be retrieved from the debris, adding that one was crushed by a beam while another was caught in a sorting machine. He described the operations as “extremely risky” for the teams on the ground. Despite being soaked by continuous rain since 1 p.m., rescuers have worked tirelessly. “We cannot stop. The families are waiting anxiously,” Tumulak said, noting that safety officers are constantly monitoring the garbage pile for any movement to prevent further accidents.
Archival said on Friday, Jan. 9, that early assessments indicate the collapse resulted from a combination of unstable ground and excessive water accumulation beneath the landfill. He emphasized that these findings are preliminary and subject to confirmation by formal investigations.
Archival referred to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu on Sept. 30, 2025, followed by typhoon Tino on Nov. 4, which brought prolonged, heavy rainfall to the city. He noted that seismic activity combined with continuous water saturation likely created unstable ground conditions, making the site susceptible to a catastrophic landslide.
“We experienced an earthquake that shook the ground, and then we were hit by Typhoon Tino, which brought an enormous amount of rain,” Archival said. He explained that garbage behaves “like a sponge,” soaking up water that accumulates underneath and gradually weakening the structure until the massive mound collapses.
City Councilor Joel Garganera echoed these sentiments, stating the landslide was likely triggered by persistent rains over the past few days combined with the sheer volume of accumulated waste.
The Binaliw landfill has long been the City’s primary disposal site, receiving hundreds of tons of garbage daily. Archival assured the public and the families of the victims that the city is coordinating closely with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and other agencies to ensure search and retrieval operations continue safely. Emergency response teams and heavy equipment operators remain on-site, working around the clock.
The City Government has pledged to review and improve waste management practices to prevent similar disasters in the future. Meanwhile, families of the missing continue to wait anxiously for news as operations persist. / CAV