January 10, 2026 | 05:17 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Rescue workers wearing safety helmets and operating excavators continued digging through massive piles of garbage on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in a desperate search for survivors at a landfill in the Philippines.
The collapse, which occurred on Thursday, buried dozens of workers and has so far claimed at least four lives.
The incident took place at the privately operated Binaliw Landfill in Cebu City, where an estimated 50 sanitation workers were engulfed when a towering mound of rubbish—said to be as high as a 20-story building—gave way.
Rescue teams face constant danger from further collapses as they work through unstable debris, according to Cebu rescue worker Jo Reyes.
“Operations are ongoing as of the moment,” Reyes said on Saturday, as quoted by Channel NewsAsia. “It is continuous. (But) from time to time, the landfill is moving, and that will temporarily stop the operation.”
Information from the disaster site has been slow to emerge due to poor signal coverage at the landfill, which serves Cebu City and surrounding communities.
Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera said that as of 10:00 AM Saturday, four people had been confirmed dead, while 34 others remained missing.
“The four casualties were inside the facility when it happened ... They have these staff houses inside where most people who were buried stayed,” Garganera said.
He added that rescue efforts have been hampered by heavy steel debris and the constant movement of garbage caused by pressure from above.
“It's very difficult on the part of the rescuers, because there are really heavy (pieces of steel), and every now and then, the garbage is moving because of the weight from above.”
Authorities have not shifted to body recovery operations, Garganera noted, as families of the missing continue to wait at the site in hopes of finding survivors. At least 12 workers have been rescued alive and are currently receiving medical treatment in hospitals.
Garganera also warned that the landfill posed long-standing risks, especially during the rainy season.
“Every now and then when it rains, there are landslides happening around the city of Cebu ... how much more (dangerous is that) for a landfill or a mountain that is made of garbage?” he said.
"The garbage is like a sponge, they really absorb water. It doesn't (take) a rocket scientist to say that eventually, the incident will happen.”
He described the height of the garbage pile as “alarming,” adding that drivers had frequently complained about the dangers of navigating steep roads leading to the landfill’s peak.
Police photographs released on Friday showed a massive heap of waste perched on a hill directly behind several buildings, which city officials said also housed administrative offices.
The disaster is a “sad, double whammy” for Cebu City, Garganera said, as the Binaliw facility is the sole landfill serving the city and nearby areas.
According to its operator, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions, the site processes about 1,000 tons of municipal waste daily. The company has not responded to calls or emails seeking comment.
One worker, 49-year-old Rita Cogay, narrowly escaped death after leaving her post moments before the collapse.
“I thought a helicopter had crashed. But when I turned, it was the garbage and the building coming down.”
Read: Philippines: Dozens Missing After Deadly Landfill Collapse
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