MANILA – Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a proposed resolution seeking a Senate investigation into the country’s solid waste management system following the collapse of the Binaliw landfill in Cebu City, which killed 36 people.

Proposed Senate Resolution No. 285 emphasizes that the Binaliw tragedy is not an isolated incident but a symptom of broader, systemic weaknesses. It cited a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report warning of a looming nationwide trash crisis caused by rising waste volumes, overflowing landfills, weak waste diversion systems, distorted business incentives, and poor enforcement of existing laws.

“Ang trahedyang ito ay hindi lang aksidente,” Hontiveros said. “The collapse of the Binaliw landfill was the result of long-standing regulatory gaps, weak enforcement, and an overreliance on landfill-based disposal that has pushed facilities beyond safe limits.”

Despite corrective orders from the Cebu City Solid Waste Management Board over open dumping violations, residents continued to report foul odors, fly infestations, and other health hazards. In January 2026, the landfill collapsed under the weight of accumulated garbage, steel, and heavy machinery.

Hontiveros warned that the country’s landfill-dependent approach can no longer cope with the growing waste problem, as disposal sites nationwide are reaching full capacity and available land is running out. She also noted that the abolition of the Multi-Partite Monitoring Team under DENR Administrative Order No. 2017-15 limited oversight of Environmental Compliance Certificate violations, allowing operators to bypass standards and exposing communities to serious health risks.

“We effectively fired the watchdogs. We stripped locals of their right to inspect these facilities and allowed operators to pile garbage onto unstable mountains without anyone raising the alarm. We blinded the very people who had the most to lose,” she said.

The resolution further called for a review of waste-to-energy initiatives, cautioning that such projects may encourage excessive dumping rather than sustainable waste management solutions.

“Huwag na nating itambak pa ang problema sa basura. Kailangan ng pananagutan at malinaw na reporma, para hindi na maulit ang sinapit ng komunidad sa Binaliw,” Hontiveros added.