Cebu city: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Raphael Lotilla has ordered the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Central Visayas to develop long-term and resilient solid waste management solutions for Cebu. Lotilla made the directive after the tragic trash slide at the Binaliw sanitary landfill in Cebu City that left at least 13 people dead and dozens more still missing.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DENR chief directed the DENR Region 7 to conduct an immediate appraisal and containment of the Binaliw sanitary landfill, while ensuring the continuity of waste collection. Lotilla emphasized the importance of identifying and operating alternative disposal sites for Cebu City and neighboring local government units (LGUs) to ensure uninterrupted waste collection and public health protection in the short term. This will involve rapid site assessments of proposed alternative facilities by composite technical teams.
Lotilla has asked the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 7, the facility operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, Inc., and waste management experts to collaborate on engineering measures based on the Environmental Management Plan. They are tasked with assessing waste pile stability, drainage conditions, and site-specific geotechnical risks, which will inform engineering measures and a rehabilitation plan.
The DENR plans to work with LGUs, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and other national agencies to overcome administrative barriers to interim waste handling measures such as transfer stations. Policies on sanitary landfill design, environmental safeguards, and local government solid waste management plans will be reviewed to address capacity and resilience gaps.
A comprehensive technical assessment of the sanitary landfill must be undertaken immediately to identify structural and operational deficiencies, focusing on evaluations of slope stability, leachate management systems, and compliance with approved landfill designs and environmental safeguards. The cease-and-desist order issued by the EMB Visayas Region against the facility will remain in effect while rescue, retrieval, and cleanup operations continue.
DENR Region 7 has been instructed to submit a proposal within 72 hours detailing the resources and timeline for the rapid appraisal. The EMB-7 will also convene a technical conference with the operator to require a compliance commitment and a 90-day corrective action plan. Regulatory enforcement will proceed in accordance with established legal and administrative processes, including technical conferences and compliance commitments required of the operator.
