04/05/2026
STATEMENT ON THE PARTIAL REOPENING OF BINALIW LANDFILL
The decision to partially reopen the Binaliw Landfill raises serious concerns, particularly as the issues surrounding the previous landslide remain unresolved.
While the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environmental Management Bureau Region VII (EMB-7), frames this move as a balance between environmental protection and operational necessity, public safety and accountability must not be secondary considerations.
Reopening a landfill tied to a fatal incident without full transparency undermines public trust. The affected families and the broader community deserve clear, accessible, and continuous updates on the status of investigations, accountability measures, and long-term corrective actions. Environmental governance is not only about technical compliance, it is equally about transparency, credibility, and justice.
If reopening proceeds, it must be contingent upon strict, independently verifiable enforcement of all environmental and engineering safeguards. This includes rigorous monitoring of slope stability, proper leachate management, and full adherence to the conditions outlined in the amended Environmental Compliance Certificate. Compliance reports must be publicly disclosed in a timely and understandable manner.
However, this raises a critical concern: if such safeguards were indeed strictly implemented before, the disaster would not have occurred. This calls into question how these standards are enforced in practice. Without clear accountability, independent verification, and full transparency, there is no sufficient basis for public trust that these measures will now be upheld.
Stakeholder engagement must go beyond procedural consultation. Local communities, civil society organizations, and independent experts must be given meaningful roles in oversight to ensure that safety assurances are grounded in verifiable evidence and not mere administrative claims.
Cebu’s waste management challenges are real and urgent. However, expediency cannot justify exposing communities to renewed risk. A sustainable solution demands not only functional infrastructure, but institutional accountability and a demonstrable commitment to preventing another tragedy.
We therefore take a firm stand: the reopening of the Binaliw Landfill must be halted while the case remains ongoing. Anything less compromises justice, weakens accountability, and endangers lives.
We call on the DENR to suspend reopening plans, release full and regular public reports on the status of the case and site conditions, and establish an independent, multi-sectoral monitoring body with genuine community representation.
Public safety is non-negotiable. Accountability is non-negotiable. We cannot and will not accept another preventable disaster.
Words | Catherine Aluba
Pubmat | Zandra Canoy