Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has backed the limited reopening of the Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS) facility in Barangay Binaliw, stating that it will benefit the city amid ongoing rehabilitation and regulatory conditions.
Partial Lifting of Cease-and-Desist Order
In a media interview on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Archival said there is no immediate concern over the partial lifting of the cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7. He noted that any activity at the facility appears limited and may only be for testing purposes.
"I think this is really advantageous for us. Especially on our part, we're not dumping waste there. We don't really know what's going on inside. They might just be testing," Archival said.
City Council Surprised by Reports
During an executive session of the City Council on April 28, councilors were surprised by reports that PWS had begun limited operations despite lingering questions and a lack of clear coordination with the council. The discussion included a statement from PWS manager Niño Abellana Jr., who explained that operations starting April 25 were allowed under a partial lifting related to an interim cell covered by environmental clearance requirements.
DENR 7 waste management chief John Roy Kyamko clarified that the authorization applies only to that interim cell and not the entire facility.
Mayor's Explanation
Archival explained that the reopening likely involves only a landfill cell that already has the necessary permits, including an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), and is separate from the area affected by a deadly landslide. He confirmed that the city received a letter from DENR regarding the partial lifting last week before operations began, and acknowledged that operations may continue as long as regulations are followed.
He added that landfill operators, including PWS, will still have to go through public bidding when the city opens contracts for waste disposal to qualified and compliant facilities.
Concerns from City Environment Office
Meanwhile, concerns arose within the City Government after the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Ccenro) revealed that it was not included in the investigation and monitoring of the landfill following the deadly incident. Ccenro head Editha Peros said their office, which is mandated to conduct environmental inspections, was not invited to be part of the composite team formed by DENR and other agencies.
