Environmental groups cite inconsistent enforcement of waste laws after deadly collapse in Cebu City.
CEBU, Philippines — Environmental groups have sharply criticized the government’s handling of waste management following a deadly landslide at a landfill in Cebu City, calling the incident further evidence of a system that has failed communities and workers.
The landslide occurred on Thursday, Jan 8, at the Binaliw landfill, killing four people as of Saturday, Jan 10. Officials said a combination of factors — including rainfall that softened the soil, lingering ground movement from the Sept 30 Cebu earthquake, and the continued piling up of garbage — contributed to the collapse.
“This shows a grim picture of our broken waste management system that has failed Filipinos and communities once again,” said Marian Ledesma of Greenpeace Philippines in a statement.
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Workers Trapped as Rescue Efforts Continue
The landslide struck a materials recovery facility where about 100 workers from landfill operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions were stationed at the time.
Search and rescue operations began immediately. As of this writing, officials said 12 people have been rescued, while 34 remain missing. Rescue efforts are ongoing at the site, even as the landfill has been rendered inoperable.
City officials are now seeking temporary transfer stations to manage Cebu City’s daily waste while operations at Binaliw remain suspended.
Echoes of a Past Tragedy
Ledesma said the incident is reminiscent of the Payatas tragedy in July 2000, when more than 200 residents were killed after a massive garbage dump collapsed at the Payatas dumpsite in Quezon City. The disaster led to the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, also known as Republic Act No. 9003, which mandates waste reduction, segregation at source, and proper disposal.
“The law was primarily designed to ensure waste prevention through source reduction and segregation, but enforcement has been inconsistent,” Ledesma said.
The Movement for a Livable Cebu echoed Greenpeace’s concerns, describing the incident as “a tragedy of our [Cebuanos’] making.”
“Twenty-five years after [Republic Act No. 9003’s] passage, progress is minimal,” said Joel Lee, the group’s executive director. While local government units have produced the required 10-year solid waste management plans, he said many remain “just blueprints without action.”
Lee noted that since 2019, Cebu has sent about 600 tons of mixed garbage to the Binaliw landfill, costing at least P50 million a month for transport and disposal.
Long-Standing Community Complaints
According to the group, residents of Barangay Binaliw, where the landfill is located, have long raised concerns over conditions in the area. These include persistent stench, flies, untreated wastewater leachate, contamination of deep well water, and other health issues linked to the accumulation of garbage.
The Movement for a Livable Cebu has called for an independent investigation into the cause of the landslide, a crisis-management plan to divert waste in coordination with waste picker cooperatives and barangay officials, and an audit of local governments’ 10-year waste plans. The group said community participation should be a key requirement for funding and approval.
Greenpeace Philippines urged the national government to fully implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, enforce waste prevention measures, and amend the Extended Producer Responsibility law to set clearer targets for plastic reduction and the adoption of reuse systems.
The group also said corporations producing consumer goods and disposable packaging should be held accountable for worsening the waste crisis. According to Greenpeace, these companies must be required to reduce plastic production and shift toward refill and reuse models.
As rescue operations continue at the Binaliw landfill, the incident has renewed scrutiny of how waste is managed — and mismanaged — in rapidly growing urban centers across the Philippines.
