Binaliw Landfill Collapse
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Heavy rain in recent days has exposed a critical weakness in Cebu City's waste management infrastructure. On Thursday, sustained downpours softened the soil at the Binaliw landfill, causing a massive collapse that sent tonnes of rubbish cascading down a mountainside, partially burying homes nestled within the dumpsite's perimeter.

The incident laid bare a problem that environmental officials have been sounding alarms about for months: a municipal landfill operating more like an open dumping ground than a proper waste facility.

When emergency responders arrived at the scene following reports of the collapse, they deployed five ambulances and disaster response teams to assess the damage. Cebu City Councillor Joel Garganera, who chairs the city's environment committee, coordinated immediate relief efforts and ordered a drone assessment by personnel from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office to determine the full extent of the affected area.

The Inherent Danger Of An Open Dumpsite

The Binaliw facility has long been a source of contention among environmental advocates and city officials who understand the risks. Rather than operating as a sanitary landfill—a properly engineered facility with containment systems—the site functions as what many describe as little more than a hollowed-out mountainside filled with waste.

'If you look at how this landfill operates, they cut through the mountain and mine the soil, then fill the other half with garbage. In effect, they level the mountain to create another mountain made of waste. That is the nature of this landfill,' Garganera explained, articulating a frustration shared by environmental officials across the city.

The danger, he stressed, escalates as the heap grows taller. 'Even ordinary mountains made of soil and rock can experience landslides. How much more a mountain of garbage?' The councillor's words carry particular weight given that the site is reportedly reaching capacity, prompting expansion plans that only heighten safety risks for nearby residents.

Expansion Plans Amplify Safety Concerns

The timing of this collapse has reignited debate about the landfill's future. When a facility approaches maximum capacity, operators typically look to expand upwards and outwards, but doing so at a site already vulnerable to collapse creates an untenable situation. Garganera pointed out the uncomfortable reality: 'When the site is already full, they try to expand. That's what we are seeing now.'

Despite Garganera's repeated attempts to secure a closure order, the landfill continues to serve as Cebu City's final destination for solid waste. 'I have moved heaven and earth to have this landfill closed, but operations have continued,' he said, a remark that underscores the institutional inertia surrounding municipal waste management decisions.

The councillor's frustration is compounded by the facility operators' apparent disregard for the safety implications. The collapse stands as a sobering reminder that when municipalities prioritise short-term waste disposal over long-term infrastructure investment, residents living in proximity bear the human cost.

As Cebu City grapples with the immediate aftermath of this landfill collapse, the broader question looms: how long can a city justify operating a dangerous, aging waste facility when alternatives exist? For the families whose homes were damaged, the answer cannot come soon enough.

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