Rescue Efforts Continue After Deadly Landslide at Cebu Waste Facility
Rescue teams are in a race against time as they search for missing individuals following a catastrophic landslide at a private waste facility in Cebu City. The disaster struck the Binaliw Landfill in Barangay Binaliw on January 8, 2026, burying dozens of workers under a mountain of garbage.
A Tragedy Foretold: Labor Group Points to Negligence
For the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), the collapse was a preventable disaster. In a strongly-worded statement, the labor rights organization asserted that clear signs of negligence by the private operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, and government regulators led to the tragedy.
"This is a tragedy that was waiting to happen," the CTUHR said. The group highlighted that the garbage pile had grown to a dangerous height of nearly 20 storeys. They also cited recent natural calamities, including a strong earthquake and typhoons that hit Cebu in preceding months, which likely destabilized the landfill's structure.
The CTUHR directly criticized government agencies for failing in their oversight duties. "(The tragedy) exposes weaknesses in the DENR’s and DOLE’s monitoring of workplaces and enforcement of relevant sanitation, environmental, and labor standards," the group added, referring to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Labor and Employment.
Mounting Casualties and Calls for Government Action
The human cost of the dumpsite landslide continues to rise. As of the latest reports, the incident has claimed eight lives. Twenty-eight workers remain missing, while twelve employees were successfully rescued from the rubble. Approximately 50 workers were initially trapped when the garbage mountain gave way.
In response, the CTUHR is joining growing calls for a full reckoning. The group is demanding a thorough government investigation into the collapse to pinpoint accountability.
"We demand that the government investigate the accountability of Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the DENR, and the DOLE in the disaster," the CTUHR stated. "(We also demand) that the results be made known to the public and that key officials responsible for the tragedy be held to account."
While extending its deepest condolences to the victims' families and colleagues, the labor group issued an urgent plea to authorities. "We are calling on the government to work overtime to rescue the landfill workers who were buried and remain missing to this day," the CTUHR emphasized, underscoring the critical nature of the ongoing rescue operations in Cebu City.
