A Morning Goodbye That Became a Final Farewell
For Bienvenido Ranido, the dawn of January 8, 2026, began with a familiar routine, but it ended in a tragedy that shattered his family. His wife, Rowena Ranido, kissed him twice and said "I love you" twice when he dropped her at her workplace, Prime Waste Solutions in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City. It was a more heartfelt goodbye than usual, a detail that would haunt him later.
Rowena worked in the Human Resource Department. By 4 p.m. that same day, a catastrophic massive landslide inside the Binaliw landfill sent tons of compacted waste crashing down without warning. The towering pile of garbage, accumulated over years, became an instant grave for workers and equipment.
Desperate Search and Heartbreaking Discovery
Bienvenido, who works for a different trash hauler in the area, heard what sounded like an explosion. Rushing to the site on his motorcycle, he was met with chaos: sirens, shouting families, and heavy machinery digging through the debris. In a frantic state, he tried to dig with his bare hands, calling for Rowena, before authorities pulled him away.
He waited through agonizing hours as rescuers pumped oxygen into possible air pockets. The miracle he prayed for never came. On January 9, 2026, rescuers recovered Rowena's body from the rubble. She was pronounced dead.
A Family's Loss and a Father's Promise
Rowena left behind her husband and their three children. Their eldest, Stephen Clark, remembers his mother's comforting smile just days before, assuring him that finishing school was what truly mattered after he lost his honor student status.
Among the few tangible memories are the watches Rowena gave her children. These ordinary items now mark every painful second spent without her.
Bienvenido, engulfed in grief, has made a solemn promise. He vows to do everything possible to ensure his children finish their studies, clinging to the future Rowena worked so hard to provide. He is now appealing to the Cebu City Government to help his children enter a city scholarship program. He is also awaiting the burial assistance promised by Prime Waste Solutions.
The landslide has claimed several lives, with others still missing. It has also forced the suspension of waste collection in parts of Metro Cebu, raising urgent questions about landfill safety, corporate accountability, and the human cost of neglect. Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing.
Every morning, Bienvenido still wakes up at 4 a.m., but the silence is deafening. There is no one to wake with a cup of coffee and a hug—only the enduring memory of a love that survived 17 years, and a goodbye that came twice.
