The Cebu City Council was left in the dark after a waste management facility in Barangay Binaliw quietly resumed operations, even as a government investigation into a prior incident remains unresolved and key findings have yet to be released.
Executive session reveals surprise restart
During an executive session on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, officials were surprised to learn that Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS) had already restarted limited operations just three days before the session, raising questions over safety compliance, regulatory coordination, and transparency in the handling of the controversial facility.
PWS manager Niño Abellana Jr. confirmed that operations resumed last week, with the facility currently accepting less than 50 metric tons of waste daily from private commercial establishments in Cebu City.
However, council members said they were not formally informed of the resumption, despite the site still being under scrutiny following a previous incident that triggered government inspections and regulatory action.
Councilor expresses concern
City Councilor Joel Garganera, who chairs the City Council committee on environment, expressed concern that operations restarted while the investigation has yet to be concluded or fully disclosed.
Adding to the confusion, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) confirmed that it had issued a partial lifting of the cease and desist order (CDO), tied to an amendment of the facility’s Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
John Roy Kyamko, chief of the DENR-7 Solid Waste Management section, said the clearance allows operations only within a designated “interim cell,” not the entire landfill.
“They can already operate in the area that was partially lifted,” Kyamko said, adding that the site is considered safe only within that limited zone.
He also revealed that an ocular inspection was conducted just days before the partial lifting was issued, although full findings of the inspection and the ongoing investigation have not been presented to the council.
PWS maintains compliance
PWS maintained that it is operating under a business permit, ECC, and DENR clearance, and insisted that coordination with authorities is ongoing. The company said it is also in the process of informing stakeholders, including the local government unit.
Despite this, council members questioned why operations resumed without prior notification, stressing that the city should have been properly informed given the scale of the facility and the unresolved issues surrounding it.
PWS clarified that it is currently accepting waste only from private commercial establishments such as malls and business centers in Cebu City, and not from local government units, as no LGU contracts are in place.
