Navotas: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) cited the non-implementation of the daily soil covering requirement and the incomplete gas vent pipes as key factors that may have contributed to the fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill. In a media briefing Thursday, DENR-EMB National Capital Region Director Janice Pammit said 'many contributing factors' may have caused the Navotas sanitary landfill fire, worsened by methane buildup and extreme heat. She said the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will determine the official cause of the fire.
According to Philippines News Agency, Pammit also underscored lapses in basic landfill management, as noted in the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), particularly the failure to apply daily soil cover and the lack of the required number of gas vent pipes, both of which are critical to preventing heat buildup and fire. She criticized the landfill's former operator, Philippine Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), for not performing daily soil cover, a significant condition stipulated in the ECC.
She also cited the incomplete gas vent pipes that should have been installed in the sanitary landfill. Gas vent pipes, as referenced in the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) guidelines, are crucial components of sanitary landfills for releasing methane and other gases generated during waste decomposition. These pipes prevent the buildup of explosive gases.
Pammit also flagged delays in submitting and implementing a Safe Closure, Rehabilitation, and Abandonment Plan (SCRAP) to properly cap, secure, and restore landfills and dumpsites, thereby reducing environmental pollution and other risks. The DENR-EMB has issued multiple notices of violation (NOVs) against the landfill operator, both before and after the fire, for noncompliance with environmental regulations. Pammit noted that PhilEco failed to fully implement closure measures after its franchise expired in August 2025.
Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs, Enforcement, Human Resources, and Field Operations - Luzon Norlito Eneran said the DENR is building a case with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to determine possible administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities. Despite the incident, the DENR-EMB said the air quality in Metro Manila and nearby areas has improved in recent days, with particulate matter (PM) levels remaining within standards.
Meanwhile, water quality testing around the landfill is ongoing, with results expected shortly. Pammit said fire suppression efforts led by the BFP continue, including slope stabilization, soil covering, and cooling operations. A Japanese disaster relief team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has also contributed to refining fire suppression techniques, she added.
