Binaliw dumpsite incident records 36 casualties

After 10 days of search and rescue operations at the Barangay Binaliw landfill landslide incident in Cebu City, rescuers concluded their response efforts after the last missing person was retrieved earlier this Sunday, bringing the death toll to 36 people as of Jan 18.

The response efforts started on January 8 and ended on January 18, at around 5:41 AM, after the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) – Region 7 Cebu City Fire Station confirmed the recovery of the final victim.

“Responding teams have completed systematic search, rescue, and retrieval operations, ensuring that no further missing persons remain,” BFP R7 Regional Director FCSUPT Fred L. Trajeras Jr., DSC, said.

Despite all missing victims being accounted for, coordination with ground units and partner agencies will still be imposed as part of the post-operation assessments. 

Identity of the Victims

In a separate interview, the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC) chairperson, Councilor Dave Tumulak, confirmed that all retrieved bodies were employees of Prime Waste Solutions (PWS).

Four among the 36 were identified as subcontractors of the said company.

Tumulak also confirmed that 16 of the identified bodies were from Cebu City, while the rest came from Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu Province.

Behind the Operation

Rescuers from BFP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), Local Government Units (LGU) of Cebu, Davao, and Dumaguete, Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation, and Philippine Red Cross simultaneously responded, Tumulak disclosed.

Likewise, he revealed that dogs, specifically K-9 units from Iloilo City, were used to retrieve the bodies.

The rescuers took turns in a 24-hour shift after Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival ordered a nonstop rescue operation following the incident.

To ensure safety and conform to health protocols, a 2-hour interval per rescue team was imposed due to the smell of the landfill, Tumulak said.

Succeeding Actions

After the successful recovery of the bodies, Tumulak mentioned that law enforcement agencies will be overtaking the operations and are free to conduct their own investigation.

“Ngayon happy kami nakita lahat ng bodies. Pagkatapos nito, papasok ‘yung law enforcement agencies. We will let the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) and the other law enforcement agencies conduct their own investigation,” he affirmed.

On January 12, DENR issued a cease-and-desist order against Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PIWSI) after a site inspection by the agency’s inspection team on January 9.

Moreover, the company has also been ‘called to a technical conference to establish facts and execute a compliance commitment within a period not exceeding 90 days,’ DENR added.

DENR, in collaboration and coordination with the LGU of Cebu City, will be assessing the current solid waste management of the area.