A devastating landslide at the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City has left a family shattered and a husband pleading for help to secure his children's future. Bienvenido Ranido is now appealing for scholarship assistance for his three children and burial aid after his wife, Rowena, was found dead on Friday, January 9, 2026. She was among the victims of the catastrophic collapse that occurred at the Prime Waste Solutions facility on January 8.
A Routine Morning, A Tragic Day
For 17 years, Bienvenido and Rowena Ranido shared a simple, steady life in Cebu. Their mornings began at 4 a.m., with Bienvenido preparing the children for school before waking Rowena with a hug and coffee. On that fateful Wednesday, January 8, 2026, he dropped her at her job in the Human Resource Department of Prime Waste Solutions in Barangay Binaliw. Her goodbye was unusually tender—two kisses and two declarations of love—a memory that now haunts him.
Later that afternoon, around 4 p.m., a massive section of the towering landfill gave way without warning. Tons of compacted waste crashed down in a sudden landslide, burying workers and equipment under deep layers of debris. Bienvenido, working as a trash hauler nearby, heard what he thought was an explosion or a blown tire. The terrible truth soon reached him: the Binaliw landfill had collapsed.
A Desperate Search and a Painful Recovery
Racing to the site on his motorcycle, Bienvenido was met with chaos. Rescue teams, sirens, and frantic families filled the area. Ignoring orders, he began digging with his bare hands, screaming his wife's name until authorities pulled him back. He was forced to wait through agonizing hours as rescuers pumped oxygen into possible air pockets in the rubble.
The wait ended the next day, January 9, when rescuers recovered Rowena's body. There was no miracle. The joyful mother and dedicated wife, who worked tirelessly for her children's future, was gone. At home, their three children—eldest Stephen Clark, and his two siblings—were left waiting for a mother who would never return.
A Father's Promise and a Plea for Help
Rowena's final gifts to her children were simple watches, which now mark every painful second of her absence. Clinging to her purpose, Bienvenido vows to ensure all three finish their studies. He is now calling on the Cebu City Government to help his children enter its scholarship program. He is also awaiting the burial assistance promised by Prime Waste Solutions, Rowena's employer.
The Binaliw disaster has claimed multiple lives, with several workers still missing. It has also suspended waste collection in parts of Metro Cebu and sparked urgent investigations into safety standards and accountability. As official probes continue, families are left in a limbo of grief and hope.
Bienvenido Ranido still wakes at 4 a.m., but the silence in his home is a constant reminder of his loss. His story underscores the human cost of the tragedy—a cost measured not just in lives lost, but in the enduring struggle of the families left behind.
