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Environmental Management Bureau XI

Open for waste

by Nova Mae Francas June 19, 2026

written by Nova Mae Francas

Old sanitary landfill permanently closed; new site operations okayed

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources XI ordered the permanent closure and stoppage of all dumping operations at the existing Davao City Sanitary Landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District.

The EMB XI announced the development on Friday, June 19, following the expiration of the temporary waste disposal extension of the City Government of Davao.

“To avert public health and environmental risks from city-wide garbage accumulation, waste disposal services are being seamlessly transitioned to an operational ‘interim cell’ within the designated portion of the new Sanitary Landfill,” the agency said in a press release.

The agency said the new facility’s interim cell is “complete and structurally ready” to receive waste as of Thursday, June 18.

Meanwhile, the city government is directed to submit a draft Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan of the old sanitary landfill within 30 days following its closure.

To note, the permanent closure stems from a tragic trash-slide incident on May 20 in the Barangay New Carmen facility, which resulted in two fatalities, one missing person, and two injuries.

The agency, through DENR XI regional director Atty. Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan, ordered an immediate suspension of disposal on May 21 due to multiple violations of Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) and DENR Administrative Order No. 10, specifically violations of paragraphs 1,3, and 11 of Section 5.2 and Section 2, Rule XIV, Operations of Sanitary Landfills, IRR of Republic Act No. 9003.

With this, the LGU was granted a temporary window to resume disposal operations in a portion of the existing landfill until June 16.

Dumagan and Environmental Management Bureau XI regional director Alnulfo M. Alvarez signed the final order on June 17, halting all further activities at the old landfill, except for critical mitigation and rehabilitation works.

“Moving forward, the old landfill will strictly undergo safe closure and rehabilitation,” the agency said, noting it will monitor the Davao City LGU’s compliance to ensure long-term public safety and environmental sustainability.

June 19, 2026 0 comments

News

‘Making progress’

by Nova Mae Francas June 14, 2026

written by Nova Mae Francas

DENR-EMB updates on ongoing sanitary landfill audit

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau XI reported on Friday that the city government of Davao is “making progress” on meeting all the requirements needed to reopen the sanitary landfill.

In a statement on Friday, June 12, the DENR XI reported the development after it convened with the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office on June 10 to review the local government’s progress report and compliance.

To note, on May 22, 2026, the Davao City Sanitary Landfill was issued a suspension order following the tragic trash slide incident on May 20.

Since the incident, the Environmental Management Bureau XI’s technical inspection and assessment team has been conducting daily site visits to enforce the suspension order, gather updates, and monitor the implementation of the LGU’s mitigating measures.

This includes the comprehensive assessment on June 7 to evaluate the feasibility of the LGU’s proposed interim measures, based on its submitted Appeal and First Progress Report dated June 5.

The agency also conducted another assessment on June 8 to determine the presence of waste mass following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

Davao City’s Office of the City Engineer reported ongoing concrete pouring at the unloading bay section and the installation of a geoliner at the New Sanitary Landfill.

“The DENR-EMB XI and the LGU of Davao City continue to work hand in hand to resolve the city’s waste collection and disposal challenges,” DENR said, noting both parties will reconvene to discuss the findings and determine next steps.

The agency said it is committed to finding solutions and providing alternatives to address the city’s waste collection and disposal concerns.

“Landfill operations will resume once the site is declared safe and the facilities are verified to be fully compliant with environmental and safety standards,” the agency stressed

Atty. Norlito Eneran, DENR assistant secretary for legal services and enforcement, stressed that local government units are responsible for enforcing Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Act.

Eneran explained this during an interview with RMN News on Thursday in a discussion about sanitary landfill regulation.

He further explained that DENR provides the policies and guidance to the LGUs.

“Ang DENR po ang nagibibigay ng technical advice sa ating local government unit, na primary agency na nagpapatupad ng provision ng ating batas. Sila po ang nag-i-implement. Ang DENR po ang nagbibigay ng polisiya at ng guidance sa ating LGUs,” he said.

When asked about the illegal dumping of waste in front of the DENR XI office, Eneran said the agency is studying the possible steps to escalate the matter to the court.

“Pinag-aaralan na din po namin ang mga hakbang kung papano naming idudulog sa korte, sa tamang pamamaraan, yung nangyari,” he said.

EMB findings

The EMB XI team reported the assessment findings, which included compliance with the suspension order, no waste pickers present onsite, and the evacuation of settlers surrounding the dumpsite.

The site grading and slope stabilization are also ongoing in the existing landfill, as well as the stabilized unloading bay.

Meanwhile, in the new sanitary landfill, findings include ongoing concrete pouring at the unloading bay, installation of an HDPE liner, and ongoing benching at the landfill cell.

The new sanitary landfill, adjacent to the current existing dumpsite, is targeted to begin operations on June 16.

June 14, 2026 0 comments

Environment

EMB XI says public scoping not approval or rejection of WTE

by Nova Mae Francas April 6, 2026

written by Nova Mae Francas

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Bureau (EMB) XI reiterated that the upcoming public scoping is “neither a ceremony for the approval or rejection” of the proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project.

In a statement issued on Saturday, April 4, the agency reaffirmed the procedural integrity of the public scoping process as a preliminary step in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, governed strictly by DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2017-15.

Under DAO No. 2017-15, the EIA process is designed to ensure that environmental and social safeguards are addressed before any decision is made on the issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

Public scoping provides a platform for host communities, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders to identify and raise specific concerns.

“As mandated by Section 7, the Public Scoping is the formal mechanism used to ‘determine the coverage, focus, depth, and extent of the assessment’ to be included in the EIS,” it said.

The agency stressed that the technical studies on air quality, toxic emissions, and hazardous ash, which are issues raised by advocacy groups, are not “pre-determined.”

Rather, the “depth and extent” of the matters raised are established based on the inputs gathered during the scoping.

Citing Section 7 of the order, the proponent is required to conduct FGDs and IEC activities with the identified stakeholders prior to the public scoping to ensure that the community acquires prior knowledge of the project’s basic components before attending the scoping session.

The agency emphasized that public scoping is open to all groups identified in Section 5.2 of DAO 2017-15, such as the local government units, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, the vulnerable sectors, and local institutions.

It added that the public opposition and the technical concerns raised, such as potential toxic emissions, air pollution, and hazardous ash management, are crucial components of the documentation process.

“All inputs gathered during the scoping are officially recorded and will form the basis of the Scoping Checklist, which defines the specific studies the proponent must undertake in their Environmental Impact Statement (EIS),” it said.

Matters concerning the Clean Air Act and the suitability of the technology will be “deliberately scrutinized” by a multi-disciplinary Environmental Impact Assessment Review Committee (EIARC) once the full impact study is submitted.

EMB XI stressed it remains “impartial” and is “highly” promoting public participation in handling environmental concerns in pursuit of social justice, urging all concerned groups and residents to join the upcoming public scoping.

“By following these strict protocols and principles aligned to the thrust of the DENR, we ensure that no project moves forward without a comprehensive, transparent, and science-based review that takes the community’s voice into full account,” the agency said.

To note, the environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Davao City Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration project, ahead of the public scoping.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 1, the group said the project is “counter-intuitive” to the city’s established circular economy goals.

The pronouncement comes as the project prepares for a critical public scoping session “to evaluate potential social and environmental impacts”, scheduled for April 15, 2026, at the Barangay Biao Escuela gym.

April 6, 2026 0 comments

Environment News

IDIS: WTE counters Davao City’s circular economy goals

by Nova Mae Francas April 2, 2026

written by Nova Mae Francas

ENVIRONMENTAL group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Davao City Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Incineration project, ahead of the public scoping.

In a statement on Wednesday, April 1, the group said the project is “counter-intuitive” to the city’s established circular economy goals.

The public scoping is a mandatory component of the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System, implemented by the project proponent, and overseen by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau XI.

“While this process is intended to assess potential environmental and social impacts and uphold public participation, the IDIS maintains its firm opposition to the project,” the group said.

According to IDIS, the establishment of a WtE facility threatens to undermine ongoing circular economy efforts, including those supported by European Union-Philippines (EU-PH) partnerships that prioritize waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.

The group argues that WtE incineration does the exact opposite of a circular economy, which aims to keep materials in the production loop.

Citing a 2024 study by Hernandez-Romero et al., IDIS pointed out that incineration effectively destroys material quality, particularly plastics, and prevents them from being reused.

“Instead of encouraging waste reduction, recycling, and composting, WtE systems weaken these efforts by competing for the same materials that should be recovered and reused,” the group stressed.

IDIS also highlighted the potential economic fallout for the city’s informal waste sector, the local junkshops, and recycling companies, as this sector relies heavily on sorted municipal solid waste, such as plastic, for their trade and livelihood.

“Rather than supporting better resource management, WtE risks pushing the city into a ‘ take-make-dispose-burn ‘ system, where materials are used once and then destroyed,” it said, noting WTE will affect their current systems, resources, trade, and livelihood.

The current circular economy approach in the city is designed to preserve the capacity of the Sanitary Landfill (SLF) in New Carmen by transforming waste into valuable resources, which eventually will potentially eliminate the need for WtE.

IDIS warns that adopting WtE is a “step backward,” as rather than encouraging waste reduction, recycling, and composting, it weakens these efforts by competing for the same materials that should be recovered and reused.

As the April 15 scoping date approaches, IDIS is calling for a discussion to ensure that the critical concerns of all affected sectors are “properly heard and accommodated.”

Photo: City Government of Davao

April 2, 2026 0 comments