landfill landslide

DENR XI temporarily suspends waste disposal after fatal collapse

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) XI has ordered the immediate suspension of waste disposal at the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill following a deadly collapse that claimed one life and left two individuals missing.

In a statement dated May 25, Atty. Maria Mercedes V. Dumagan, DENR XI regional executive director, confirmed that the order would allow the local government unit to carry out slope stabilization measures and other recommended corrective actions.

The suspension aims to bring the facility into full compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Waste Management Act, as well as the conditions set under its environmental compliance certificate.

“In the meantime, let us place our trust in their plans and follow their directives to ensure public safety,” Dumagan said.

The official urged the public to take an active role in practicing waste segregation at home and adopt proper waste management to reduce the volume of garbage collected by the local government.

“This simple effort will be a big help and will significantly ease our waste collection challenges,” Dumagan stressed.

The incident that prompted the DENR action occurred around 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, when a portion of the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District, gave way, sending tons of garbage sliding down toward houses built in the lower area.

Water buildup beneath the landfill, triggered by continuous heavy rainfall, was the likely cause of the collapse.

The Davao City Police Office identified the deceased as Cristel, 31, a waste picker, while the two missing individuals were identified as Luisa, 78, and Rosita, 67. Two others sustained injuries and were brought to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Harvey Lanticse, chief of the City Information Office, said the local government has temporarily suspended the utilization of the landfill effective May 22, 2026, in compliance with the DENR order.

However, the city filed a motion for reconsideration with DENR XI on Tuesday, May 26, citing the results of geotechnical assessments conducted at the site and the recommended corrective measures at the existing landfill facility.

“Moving forward, the city will utilize its new landfill facility adjacent to the existing site in Barangay New Carmen,” Lanticse said.

The public is advised to properly segregate waste at home to help reduce landfill waste and facilitate recycling and recovery efforts, as the City Environment and Natural Resources Office continues to conduct garbage collection operations as scheduled.

The tragedy has renewed wider concerns over Davao City’s growing waste management problem, as the volume of garbage collected continues to increase yearly.

According to data from CENRO, the actual average disposal at the sanitary landfill as of 2025 reaches 753 tons daily. The facility is already operating at full capacity after opening in December 2010. It’s the reason why the city is fast-tracking the new one, located adjacent to the existing landfill at New Carmen.

The total land area of the facility is 6.5 hectares with a total project cost of P559 million (P340-M for initial and P219-M for additional appropriation, which construction started in October 2024.

QUEZON CITY — The EcoWaste Coalition called on the national and local governments to fully check the integrity of existing landfills nationwide, penalize violations, and order immediate remedial measures to prevent deadly disasters that are waiting to happen.

The network of public interest groups advocating for a zero-waste and toxics-free society aired the appeal following the garbage slide at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill that resulted in one fatality, two injured persons, and two others still unaccounted for.

The Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), a member of the EcoWaste Coalition, had earlier commented that “the tragedy reflects the challenges of increasing volume of waste generated and disposed of in our landfills everyday,” adding “this incident highlights the importance of a strong integrated waste management system that prioritizes waste reductions, segregation at source, recycling, composting, and responsible disposal to prevent similar incidents from happening again.”

“We urge the authorities to assess the compliance of all landfills to mandatory regulations on waste segregation and acceptance, daily soil cover, containment engineering, slope stabilization, leachate, water quality, and gas monitoring, emergency preparedness, occupational safety and health, and other requirements, ensuring that all violations are identified, penalized, and fixed,” said Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition. “We cannot just wait for the next landfill collapse, fire, leachate overflow, and gas explosion to claim more lives and aggravate social injustice and environmental pollution.”

According to the group, the string of landfill disasters in Cebu City, Montalban (Rizal), Navotas City, and Davao City unmasked the inadequacy of current policies centered on managing trash rather than stopping it, and the need to move away from unsustainable, end-of-pipe solutions to the waste crisis.

“The volume and toxicity of the waste we generate continue to surge because our policies tend to favor disposal over prevention. While RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, mandates waste avoidance, segregation at source, and other best practices, national and local implementation is weak,” noted Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “Furthermore, gaps in RA 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act, fail to curb overproduction of plastics, allowing a continuous reliance on single-use packaging.”

To reduce waste volume, halt landfill dependence, and avoid the waste-to-energy (WtE) incineration trap, the EcoWaste Coalition reiterated its call for the genuine enforcement of RA 9003 and the adoption of strong policies to eradicate waste at source, such as banning single-use plastics, ensuring efficient organics management, and keeping compostable and recyclable resources out of both landfills and incinerators, prioritize investments on people-centered solutions, and ensure safe, socially just and sustainable livelihoods for waste workers.

Landfill shut down

EcoWaste Coalition: Check Landfills Integrity, Step Up Waste Prevention and Reduction