Archival seeks state of emergency declaration in Tejero, Binaliw

Local

CEBU City Mayor Nestor Archival has sought for the declaration of state of emergency in two barangays reeling from two separate disasters.

The call came as rescue teams continued searching for dozens feared trapped under a massive garbage slide in Barangay Binaliw, even as families in fire-hit Barangay Tejero tried to piece their lives back together after losing their homes over the weekend.

In a press conference on Monday, Jan. 12, Archival stated that declaring a state of emergency would enable the city to immediately access disaster funds and expedite assistance for rescue operations, medical treatment, and support for affected families.

“Our focus is on saving lives, helping the injured, and supporting the families of those who died,” the mayor said, noting that 28 people remain missing following the landfill collapse. “At the same time, we are dealing with a serious garbage problem that this incident has made worse.”

Cebu City produces about 500 tons of garbage daily, and the closure of the Binaliw landfill has disrupted normal waste disposal, Archival said.

He disclosed that the city is in talks with the municipality of Consolacion to temporarily accept Cebu City’s waste for up to 30 days while officials work to set up a temporary transfer station.

Hauling garbage to a more distant site will mean higher costs, the mayor said, adding that disaster funds would help cover the additional expenses as the city looks for longer-term solutions.

Archival also stressed the need for more permanent reforms in waste management, including stricter segregation and the possible establishment of another disposal facility to prevent similar tragedies.

He urged Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, to recommend the declaration of a state of emergency in Binaliw, citing the scale of the collapse and the continued danger in the area. A similar appeal was made for Barangay Tejero, where congestion remains a concern following the fire.

In Tejero, at least 82 families, or 301 individuals, were displaced after a fire swept through a densely populated community early Saturday morning, January 10, according to the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Office. The blaze damaged 68 houses, destroying 62 of them, and left one resident, Jonathan Duterte, 45, injured.

The city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services has been providing meals and assistance to affected families and is validating those considered internally displaced persons.

In Barangay Binaliw, search and rescue operations continued for a fourth day after a towering mound of trash collapsed at the privately operated landfill on Jan. 8, burying sanitation workers under tons of waste.

About 50 workers were initially caught in the slide.

Authorities said the death toll has risen to eight after two women were recovered from the rubble Sunday night. Heavy equipment, including a crane, has been deployed to reach unstable and hard-to-access sections of the site,

Tumulak said, as rescuers pressed on despite the risks.

The mayor said the proposed emergency declarations are meant to speed up response efforts and ensure that resources reach affected communities as quickly as possible, as Cebu City confronts the aftermath of two major disasters in as many days.(TGP)