Cebu trash landslide: Search continues for 1 missing as death toll climbs to 35

January 17, 2026 | 5:37pm

MANILA, Philippines — Nine days after a fatal landslide struck Cebu City’s Binaliw landfill, local authorities have counted 35 deaths and 18 injuries as of Saturday, January 17.

Cebu City Councilor David Tumulak, who chairs the city's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, said only one person remains missing as local authorities continue search and rescue operations.

Two more bodies were recovered at the landfill on Saturday afternoon, with the victims still unidentified. The death toll had been 32 earlier today.

Meanwhile, 14 of the 18 injured have been discharged from the hospital, while four continue to receive treatment.

The landfill's collapse over a material recovery facility has affected a total of 54 people, including sanitation workers and active waste pickers. Not only were people trapped in debris, but they were also buried in heaps of trash.

Both the Cebu City officials and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have inspected the site and discovered multiple factors triggering the landslide, including poor waste management, repeated mountain cutting, soil mining and garbage piled beyond safe limits. 

The deadly landslide led to a cease-and-desist order against Razon-owned Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., the operator of the 20-hectare trash site. The DENR directed the company to suspend its operations at Cebu City’s main drop-off site, while continuing rescue, retrieval and cleanup efforts in coordination with government agencies.

The trash site operator, however, suggested that the landslide may have also been caused by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake in September 2025, which potentially weakened the ground supporting the towering piles of trash. 

Even before the landslide, the Binaliw landfill faced repeated complaints and warnings over open dumping, foul smells, and contaminated water, leading inspectors to say it was managed more like an open dumpsite than a proper sanitary landfill.

Cebu City declared January 16 as the day of mourning for the victims of the landfill landslide. It has since been under a state of calamity, allowing for the release of P30 million from the quick response fund to help finance garbage disposal services. 

The local government is temporarily sending its daily 500 to 600 tons of garbage to the Asian Energy facility in Consolacion to reduce pressure on households and local establishments. 

— with reports from The Freeman / Preciosa Bacalso