CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City’s long-running garbage crisis has taken a major turn after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) fully lifted the cease-and-desist order (CDO) against the Binaliw sanitary landfill.
But there is a catch: Cebu City still cannot immediately send its garbage trucks back to Binaliw.
City officials said the lifting of the environmental order only clears one major hurdle. Before the city can resume paying for waste disposal at the facility, it must first complete a formal public bidding process and secure a valid contract with the landfill operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PWS).
The development comes more than seven months after a catastrophic garbage-slide disaster at the Binaliw landfill on January 8, 2026, which killed 36 people and injured 18 others. A volunteer rescuer also later died from complications related to an injury sustained during rescue efforts.
DENR gives Binaliw a green light—but with restrictions
According to the latest reports, the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau Region 7 confirmed that PWS had complied with required environmental measures and rehabilitation targets.
However, the landfill’s return to operation will not be a free-for-all.
The facility is currently subject to a 500-metric-ton daily limit for residual waste, with disposal restricted to designated areas, including the toe and interim cells. Additional safeguards include maintaining a buffer zone, installing high-definition CCTV monitoring and preparing measures to address possible impacts from the coming El Niño conditions.
That limit is significant because Cebu City generates roughly 600 to 700 tons of garbage every day.
In other words, even if the city eventually returns to Binaliw, the facility’s current authorized capacity would still leave Cebu City with a potential 100- to 200-ton daily gap based on current waste generation.
Why can’t Cebu City dump there immediately?
The answer is procurement.
Kenneth Siasar, chief of staff to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, said the city has already gone through several bidding attempts for a waste-disposal contract.
PWS participated in the first bidding round but was disqualified during post-qualification because of documentation issues. The company did not participate in the following two bidding rounds.
With the DENR’s CDO now fully lifted, city officials are hoping the landfill operator will participate in the next procurement process.
But until a bidding process is completed and a contract is formally awarded, the city cannot simply resume disposal at Binaliw.
This means the DENR decision removes the environmental prohibition—but it does not automatically authorize Cebu City to start dumping there again.
The January tragedy still hangs over Binaliw
The Binaliw landfill was shut down after a massive garbage slide on January 8 buried workers and structures at the facility.
The disaster ultimately resulted in 36 confirmed deaths, while 18 people were injured. Recovery operations continued for days before the last missing victim was recovered. A volunteer responder subsequently died from an infected injury suffered during rescue work.
The tragedy triggered intense scrutiny over landfill safety, waste-management practices and environmental oversight.
The DENR initially issued a CDO against the operator after an inspection found conditions that regulators considered an imminent environmental threat. A partial lifting of the order followed in May, allowing limited activities under strict conditions while rehabilitation work continued.
Cebu City, however, had previously delayed its own return to the landfill because of continuing safety and accountability concerns surrounding the disaster.
Cebu’s garbage problem is far from over
The Binaliw development is particularly important because Cebu City has been forced to rely on alternative waste-disposal arrangements since the landfill was closed.
For months, garbage has been hauled to the Aloguinsan landfill, while the city has used temporary transfer facilities to consolidate waste before long-distance hauling.
The financial burden has been substantial.
Earlier reports placed the city’s daily garbage-hauling expenses at dramatically higher levels than when Binaliw was operating. SunStar reported that hauling costs had risen from roughly P660,000 to nearly P2 million per day during one phase of the city’s temporary arrangement. Other reports later cited even higher figures depending on the hauling volume and arrangement.
The city has also been working to address unpaid obligations involving the Binaliw operator, with recent reports putting the outstanding amount at more than P100 million.
A return to Binaliw could provide relief—but not a complete solution
If Cebu City successfully completes the procurement process and PWS participates and wins the contract, returning to Binaliw could significantly reduce the city’s dependence on long-distance hauling.
But the current 500-ton daily limit means Binaliw would still not be able to absorb all of Cebu City’s estimated daily garbage output.
That leaves the city facing the same larger question: Where will the remaining waste go?
Mayor Archival’s administration has also been exploring longer-term waste-management options, including waste-to-energy proposals. But some of those projects could take several years to develop, meaning they cannot immediately solve Cebu City’s present disposal problem.
The city also declared a State of Solid Waste Management Emergency in May, directing authorities to pursue measures including waste reduction, segregation, recycling, composting and controlled disposal. Officials emphasized that under Republic Act 9003, only residual waste should ultimately require landfill disposal if proper segregation and waste diversion are implemented.
What happens next?
The next critical step is the city’s procurement process.
For Cebu City to return to Binaliw, PWS must participate in the new bidding, submit a compliant offer, pass post-qualification and ultimately secure a formal contract award.
City officials have expressed hope that the city could return to Binaliw before the end of 2026—but that timeline is not guaranteed and depends on the bidding process and the operator’s participation.
So while DENR’s latest decision removes one of the biggest barriers surrounding Binaliw, Cebu City’s garbage crisis is not over.
The landfill may be cleared to operate again.
The city, however, still has to win the race against its mounting trash.
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