CEBU CITY – In the wake of Typhoon Tino’s devastating rampage that left Cebu reeling from flooded streets and debris-choked communities, Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. (PWSI) has emerged as a key ally, deploying rapid-response teams to support local government units (LGUs) in a massive cleanup drive. The initiative, launched on December 6, 2025, underscores the company’s commitment to disaster resilience, mobilizing specialized equipment and expertise to clear over 5,000 tons of waste in just 48 hours, helping restore normalcy to affected areas like Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu.
Typhoon Tino, which barreled through the Visayas on November 28 with winds gusting to 140 kph, dumped up to 300 mm of rain in Cebu, triggering flash floods that displaced 10,000 families and damaged infrastructure worth P500 million. LGUs scrambled amid the chaos, but PWSI’s intervention – at the behest of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 – turned the tide. “When Tino hit, our landfills were overwhelmed, and streets were impassable. PWSI’s teams arrived within hours with excavators and compactors, hauling away mud and debris that would’ve taken weeks,” said Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes, who credited the effort with reopening 80% of major roads by December 8.
PWSI, a Cebu-based leader in integrated waste management, partnered with DENR and the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office to deploy 15 heavy-duty vehicles, including backhoes and dump trucks, focusing on high-risk zones like the Mandaue Reclamation Area and Lapu-Lapu’s coastal barangays. The operation processed 2,500 tons of mixed waste daily, sorting recyclables for community cooperatives and diverting 40% from landfills through on-site composting. “This isn’t charity – it’s capacity building. We’re equipping LGUs with tech and training to handle future storms, turning crisis into capability,” explained PWSI President and CEO Roberto “Bobby” Del Rosario, a sustainability advocate with over two decades in waste solutions.
The cleanup’s ripple effects are profound: Schools in flood-hit Lapu-Lapu resumed classes a day early, markets in Mandaue restocked fresh produce, and fisherfolk cleared debris from ports, boosting local incomes by 20% in the first week. DENR-7 Regional Director Paquito Melicor hailed the collaboration as a model for Visayas resilience: “PWSI’s swift action prevented secondary hazards like disease outbreaks from stagnant waste. This public-private synergy is what climate adaptation looks like.”
As Cebu heals, PWSI eyes a P500-million expansion of its Cebu Waste-to-Energy facility, set for groundbreaking in Q1 2026, to convert typhoon debris into renewable power. “Tino was a wake-up call, but it’s also our catalyst – turning trash into treasure for a greener Cebu,” Del Rosario vowed. For a province still tallying Tino’s toll – 15 deaths, P1.2 billion in agri losses – this cleanup isn’t cleanup; it’s comeback, proving that in the archipelago’s endless storm dance, partnership is the anchor that holds.
Key Cleanup Stats:
- Waste Cleared: 5,000+ tons in 48 hours
- Equipment Deployed: 15 vehicles (backhoes, compactors, dump trucks)
- Areas Covered: Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City coastal zones
- Diversion Rate: 40% from landfills via sorting/composting
- Economic Boost: 20% income recovery for local vendors/fishers
