Davao city: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the Davao City Sanitary Landfill had already been flagged for multiple environmental and safety violations before the tragic trash slide on Wednesday that killed one person, injured two, and left two others missing. Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the tragedy highlighted the urgency of implementing long-delayed corrective measures. 'Every life lost is unacceptable,' he said in a news release Thursday, 'The DENR and the LGU (local government unit) have been working together on the technical and regulatory requirements for months. This incident reinforces the need to accelerate slope stabilization and the safe closure plan.'
According to Philippines News Agency, the DENR said the collapse happened at about 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday in the landfill's active disposal area in Barangay New Carmen after days of heavy rain. Search and rescue teams from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), 911 Urban Search and Rescue, the City Engineer's Office, and barangay responders were immediately deployed to the area, but unstable ground conditions limited access to the site.
Right after the incident, the City Engineer's Office declared the area unsafe for full entry, prompting a temporary halt to disposal operations and perimeter control, while technical teams evaluated the extent of the waste movement. Initial investigation disclosed that the mass-wasting incident was allegedly caused by water buildup underneath the landfill following continuous heavy rains, resulting in the collapse of a portion of the garbage mound that buried nearby residential structures.
The Davao City Police Office reported one casualty at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, while the two injured individuals received medical treatment. Meanwhile, search and retrieval operations for the reported missing persons are also underway.
'Inspection records show the landfill had been under close monitoring since January. EMB (Environmental Management Bureau) 11 (Davao Region) held technical meetings with the city (government) on Jan. 20 and March 4, and issued a Notice of Violation on March 19 for operating without a discharge permit, failing effluent standards, and maintaining an inadequate leachate treatment system,' the DENR said.
It added that inspectors also documented steep slopes, a collapsed leachate pond, and the presence of informal waste pickers and makeshift dwellings near the landfill perimeter, which, the DENR said, were conditions that became the basis for recommendations to stabilize slopes, partially close sections of the facility, and relocate households within the 200-meter buffer zone. A technical conference on April 29 resulted in the Davao city government committing to pay penalties and submit a pollution control program.
The DENR said the landfill currently receives an average of 786 tons of waste daily and is nearing full capacity. Meanwhile, a new sanitary landfill expansion located adjacent to the existing site is already 52 percent complete, while part of the city's waste is being diverted through a co-processing agreement with Geocycle-Holcim. Cuna warned that operations at the landfill could be suspended, to resume only once authorities declare the facility safe. 'We are committed to ensuring that Davao City's waste facilities are safe, compliant, and resilient,' he said.
