The Cebu City Council has ordered an immediate stop to the transportation of earth materials along Binaliw Road. This decisive action comes in response to mounting complaints from residents about the deteriorating condition of the road and significant environmental risks.
Council Acts on Citizen Complaint
The legislative body approved the suspension through a resolution on Tuesday, December 2, 2025. The move was triggered by a formal complaint filed by a citizen via the national 8888 hotline on November 14. This report prompted the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) to conduct an on-site inspection just four days later, on November 18.
Authored by Councilor Joel Garganera, the resolution mandates the Office of the Mayor, working alongside the City Legal Office, to enforce the hauling suspension. The directive includes issuing cease and desist orders to all involved parties until the identified problems are fully resolved.
Inspection Uncovers Multiple Violations and Hazards
During their inspection, Cenro personnel documented several critical issues causing public concern. The team found:
- Severely damaged sections of the roadway.
- Areas rendered muddy and slippery, creating dangers for motorists.
- Significant dust pollution affecting the local environment.
- Intense traffic from heavy trucks carrying soil, aggregates, and garbage.
The investigation traced the hauling activity to three major residential subdivision projects operating along the road. Although these developments possess valid construction permits, none hold the necessary quarry permits for earth extraction and transport.
Further scrutiny revealed that two of the projects were operating with expired special hauling permits, a direct violation of City Ordinance 2115, also known as the Cebu City Mining Ordinance. The projects cited are:
- Villa Montana Subdivision by PLD Construction and Development Inc.
- Woodlands Subdivision by San Lorenzo Development Corp.
The third project, Cebu City Grand Residences, developed by Deo Homes and Property Development Inc., was also identified as a major hauler in the area.
Recommendations for Remediation and Future Compliance
In its report, Cenro recommended the immediate suspension as a crucial preventive measure to stop further damage. The office also laid out specific requirements for the developers and truckers to follow before any hauling can resume. Key recommendations include:
The mandatory installation and use of wheel-washing facilities, such as wash baths and pressure washers, to ensure truck wheels are free of mud and debris before entering the public road.
A collaborative road cleaning initiative to be undertaken jointly by the responsible developers and their trucking contractors.
Enhanced regular monitoring by officials from Barangay Binaliw to ensure ongoing compliance.
Furthermore, the broader issue of physical damage to the road and drainage systems will be escalated to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the city's own technical infrastructure committee for assessment and repair plans.
The resident who initiated the complaint highlighted the particular danger of overloaded trucks operating at night, which compounded the risks of road damage and created serious safety hazards for the community.
The council's suspension order stands as a firm intervention to protect local infrastructure and the environment while the involved companies address their permit deficiencies and operational shortcomings.
