A major landfill collapse in Cebu City has sparked outrage and calls for immediate government action. The tragic incident at the Binaliw Landfill on January 8, 2026, resulted in the loss of 25 lives, prompting labor groups to demand a serious and rapid investigation into the circumstances that led to the disaster.
Alliance Questions Government Agencies' Role
The AMA Sugbo-KMU alliance has directly challenged several government agencies, questioning their oversight prior to the fatal event. Jaime Paglinawan, the chairman of AMA Sugbo-KMU, has publicly called into question the roles of the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) Region 7, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7, the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 7.
Paglinawan emphasized that it is crucial to determine whether these agencies conducted any safety inspections at the site before the tragedy struck. He also stressed the need to verify if safe working conditions for the waste workers were ever implemented and enforced at the landfill facility.
Core Demands: Justice, Accountability, and Legislative Action
The central call from the grieving alliance is for justice and accountability for the victims and their families. Beyond the immediate investigation, the group is pushing for long-term legislative changes to prevent future tragedies.
Their demands focus on two critical bills pending in Congress. First, they are urging for the approval of the Magna Carta of Waste Workers (House Bill 6413), which aims to provide job security and decent wages for those in the waste management sector. Second, they advocate for amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law through House Bill 5221, which would impose criminal liability, including imprisonment, for deaths resulting from negligence of safety standards.
A Systemic Failure Demands Systemic Solutions
This tragedy highlights the perilous conditions often faced by waste workers in the Philippines. The collapse of the Binaliw Landfill is not being viewed as an isolated accident but as a potential symptom of systemic failures in regulation, enforcement, and worker protection.
The alliance's demands underscore a belief that true justice involves not only punishing those directly responsible for this incident but also enacting stronger laws to protect vulnerable workers across the industry. The push for the Magna Carta and a stricter OSH law represents a concerted effort to translate grief and anger into concrete, life-saving policy reforms.
