Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has denied circulating reports that Prime Integrated Waste Solutions (PWS) in Barangay Binaliw has begun accepting waste from private establishments. The mayor stated that he has not received any official notice or confirmation regarding such operations, adding that as far as he knows, the facility is still in the preparation phase.
“No. In my view, they are not operating; they only said it is open,” Archival said during a press conference on Monday, May 4, 2026. He further emphasized that the city government has yet to receive clear confirmation of operations from the operator. When asked why the City Council was not informed, he replied, “How can I inform the council if I myself do not know?”
However, when informed that PWS representatives have already named an executive session in the Council indicating limited waste acceptance, Archival suggested it might still be part of system testing. He stressed that any activity at the landfill must undergo proper validation and coordination with regulatory agencies to ensure safety and compliance with the law.
“We cannot just dump waste there without ensuring safety. The most important thing is the life of every Cebuano, especially our drivers,” he said. The city is also preparing an executive order to establish interim protocols for solid waste management, safety validation of the landfill, and the creation of a waste crisis task force.
Although major city roads are now clean, Archival acknowledged challenges at the barangay level regarding waste collection. He called for public cooperation in maintaining cleanliness, noting that areas cleaned in the morning often become dirty again by afternoon.
The issue of resumed operations arose after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) partially lifted the cease-and-desist order (CDO) for the Binaliw landfill. The lifting allows only limited operations within a designated interim cell under strict conditions.
The Binaliw landfill was shut down following the tragic trash slide on January 8, 2026, which claimed 36 lives, prompting a thorough investigation into the site's safety and stability.
