Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival stated that the City cannot resume dumping garbage at the Binaliw landfill for another two to three months due to an unpaid P130-million balance owed to operator Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Cebu Inc.
Regulators lifted the facility's cease-and-desist order with a strict cap of 500 metric tons of daily waste, while Cebu City generates between 600 and 700 tons daily and must complete a formal public bidding process.
The delay forces the City to continue hauling trash to Aloguinsan at a costly daily rate of P4.2 million to P4.5 million, risking a future supplemental budget request of P100 million to P200 million.
CEBU City may have permission to use the Binaliw landfill again, but residents shouldn't expect garbage trucks to head there anytime soon.
Despite environmental regulators lifting the facility's cease-and-desist order (CDO), Mayor Nestor Archival says it will take another two to three months before the City can resume dumping its waste at the site. A complex web of unpaid bills, bidding rules, and strict daily limits is keeping the local government locked out.
"It’s open in the papers, I would say, nga pwede na (that it is already allowed)," Mayor Archival said. However, he emphasized that an immediate return is impossible: “I think, within the next two or three months, dili ta kahimo ana, because we cannot pay the P130 million right away.”
The main roadblock preventing a quick return is a P130-million unpaid balance owed to the landfill operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Cebu Inc. (PWS). The debt accumulated under the previous administrations of former mayor Michael Rama and former acting mayor Raymond Garcia.
Cebu City Chief of Staff Kenneth Siasar explained that while the current administration wants to pay, the release of funds is delayed because an official document is still missing a required signature due to an issue involving a former city official. Former mayor Rama has already signed his part.
During an August 11 City Council session, PWS General Manager Niño Abellana Jr. acknowledged the debt, noting that the money would help sustain company operations. However, he clarified that settling the bill is not a mandatory condition for accepting the City’s trash again.
Even after the debt is settled, Cebu City cannot simply start dropping off trash. City hall must first complete a formal public bidding process to contract a waste disposal provider.
PWS previously joined an earlier bidding round but was disqualified during post-qualification due to document requirements. The company chose not to participate in subsequent rounds. Siasar hopes PWS will join the upcoming bidding now that the state regulators have cleared the landfill. Archival noted that this next bidding cycle will be crucial to securing access to Binaliw.
Even if the paperwork is sorted out, Binaliw cannot take all of Cebu City's trash.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 7 lifted the CDO on Aug. 14 after PWS met key rehabilitation guidelines following a fatal Jan. 8 trash slide that killed 36 workers and one volunteer rescuer.
However, regulators capped Binaliw’s operations at a strict limit of 500 metric tons of waste per day, restricted only to the facility's toe cell and interim cell areas. Additional requirements mandate high-definition CCTV systems, continuous monitoring, slope stabilization, and a plan for the upcoming El Niño phenomenon.
Because Cebu City generates between 600 and 700 tons of garbage daily, Binaliw physically cannot accommodate all of the City's waste on its own.
While waiting for a resolution, the City continues hauling its trash to a landfill in Aloguinsan—a temporary arrangement that is proving extremely costly for taxpayers.
Archival warned that these high costs will continue through November. If existing funds run dry, the City may need to ask the City Council for a supplemental budget of P100 million to P200 million. Archival has also reached out to national officials, including Secretary Vince Dizon and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, to help speed up solutions.
The ongoing crisis has pushed the City Government to look beyond traditional landfills. Mayor Archival, a long-time advocate of composting, is pushing for stronger waste-diversion programs.
The City's Eco Station currently processes about 30 tons of waste daily, saving roughly P180,000 every day in disposal fees. The administration plans to expand the facility's capacity by another 50 to 60 tons per day using a P145-million Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) allocation from the national government. However, this expansion will take time and won't be ready until December or next year.
In the meantime, Archival has ordered local barangays to keep major roads and garbage "hot spots" clean while he monitors collection sites personally. But until procurement and capacity hurdles are solved, Cebu City remains stuck paying double to haul its waste elsewhere. CAV