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CEBU CITY — The incoming city administration here has warned the operator of the Binaliw landfill to address long-standing environmental and health issues or risk closure.
Mayor-elect Nestor Archival Sr. plans to evaluate the facility's compliance with environmental regulations immediately after taking office on June 30.
He expressed concern over recurring complaints from residents about the foul odor and untreated wastewater coming from the landfill, which sits in the mountain barangay of Binaliw.
He noted that affected communities, including some parts of Consolacion, have raised alarms over the situation.
According to him, residents have endured years of problems ranging from offensive smells to fly infestations and water contamination, which laboratory tests by the Department of Health previously confirmed.
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If the facility fails to take action, Archival said the city would issue a formal notice and recommend its closure in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
He stressed that due process will be observed, but the city government, he added, will not hesitate to take firm action.
The landfill, operated by Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PIWS), also serves as a materials recovery facility but has repeatedly drawn complaints over violations of RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Investigations by the Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) previously found that the facility engaged in open dumping, a prohibited practice under the law.
SWMB head Ma. Emma Ramas earlier pointed out that the excessive volume of unsegregated waste and lack of proper containment effectively turned the site into an illegal dumpsite.
She said the odor becomes unbearable when equipment disturbs the trash, affecting nearby communities.
In September 2023, a group of 156 residents from Sta. Ana subdivision filed a petition urging City Hall to take action.
They cited the persistent stench, proliferation of flies, and the worsening condition of their water supply.
Barangay officials in Consolacion also reported leachate allegedly flowing from the site into Sitio Panoypoy.
While the SWMB previously refrained from penalizing PIWS, it had urged the operator to fix its processes.
The incoming mayor intends to lessen Cebu City's reliance on the Binaliw landfill by reforming the waste collection system.
He aims to reinstate the "no segregation, no collection" policy and expand composting initiatives for biodegradable waste.
He emphasized the importance of requiring households to separate their trash at the source to reduce landfill burden.
PIWS took over operations of the Binaliw facility in 2022, succeeding ARN Central Waste Management Inc.
The company promotes the site as the country's first large-scale MRF, claiming it can reduce landfill waste by up to 80 percent. However, residents say they have yet to see meaningful improvements.
