landfill operations suspended

• DENR XI firm on safety measures before reopening Davao City landfill

DESPITE the waste quickly piling up outside of its regional headquarters, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XI said on Feiday, June 5, that it will only lift the suspension order on the Davao City Sanitary Landfill once all required safety measures are completed.

This, after Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte assailed the agency for not giving a clear timeline for the reopening of the facility.

“Once we confirm that all safety measures are in place, we can consider lifting the Suspension Order,” DENR-Environmental Management Bureau XI regional director Alnulfo M.Alvarez said in a statement.

Alvarez said the agency recognizes the urgency of restoring landfill operations, but stressed that public safety cannot be compromised.

“Our teams are on the ground every day with the LGU. We recognize the operational pressure the city is facing, but we cannot compromise public safety and environmental protection,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said LGU personnel have been present in all assessments, including drone mapping, slope stability checks, leachate monitoring, and the evaluation of the proposed temporary disposal area in the western portion of the SLF.

The agency clarified that the suspension order was issued on May 21, a day after a trash slide in Barangay New Carmen on May 20, 2026, to secure ongoing search and retrieval and enable geotechnical assessments.

“Since then, DENR technical teams have conducted daily inspections and coordination meetings with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, City Engineer’s Office, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to guide rehabilitation works,” DENR XI regional executive director Atty.Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan said.

The collapse affected an estimated 3.72 hectares of the landfill area, blocked access roads, damaged nearby houses, and resulted in two fatalities, two injuries, and one individual still missing.

“The cooperation between the DENR regional offices, Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region XI, and the City Government of Davao has been consistent and constructive. Everyone is aligned on the same goal: to restore operations safely and protect the communities around the SLF (landfill),” Dumagan said.

The DENR has laid out alternatives while the landfill is facing suspension, including temporary disposal coordination with neighboring LGUs such as Sta. Cruz and Panabo City; co-processing arrangements with Holcim- Geocycle for residual waste; fast tracking of the new SLF; and temporary disposal within the current SLF subject to slope stabilization.

In its motion for reconsideration, the city government proposed establishing a temporary disposal area inside the SLF, committing to complete slope stabilization, drainage controls, and other corrective measures by June 9, pending the agency’s verification.

Duterte had issued a statement on June 4 after noting how the suspension affected garbage collection. He said they identified additional waste collection points, including one set up in front of the DENR XI office.

“So they can personally appreciate the volume of garbage that accumulates when an essential public service is halted indefinitely,” the mayor said.

DENR said Duterte’s statement emphasized that the city relies on DENR’s technical clearance before disposal activity resumes.

With this, retrieval operations for the remaining missing individual are ongoing, supported by the City Engineer’s Office and CDRRMO, while around 180 families have been evacuated from high-risk areas near the landfill, with barangay and CSWDO teams coordinating with DENR and CDRRMO on safety protocols. 

Meanwhile, DENR said access to the SLF remains restricted to authorized personnel. 

It stressed that once the LGU completes the required works, the DENR will validate compliance. 

In a separate statement also dated June 5, Mayor Duterte said the new sanitary landfill adjacent to the existing facility has been under development since 2024, with its Environmental Compliance Certificate already secured. 

He said only the finalization of the loading bay remains pending, with completion expected by June 16, 2026.

Duterte maintained that conditions at the existing landfill, according to observations and practical assessment, have already reached a point where operations may safely resume even while corrective measures are being implemented.

“Should our recommendation be given due weight, the need to consider your office as a garbage collection point may no longer arise prior to the new facility becoming operational on June 16, 2026,” Duterte said, addressing DENR in his statement.