The shutdown of open dumpsites in the country has begun.

This, after a four-hectare open dumpsite in the middle of a greenfield in Sta. Ana, Pampanga was closed down by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Friday, February 4.

After not complying with a previous notice of violation, the dumpsite located in Barangay San Nicolas was finally closed.

“We have already issued a notice of violation so what we're expecting is that they will finally fix this,” Environment Undersecretary Benny D. Antiporda, who led the closure, said.

However, the dumping of waste ensued despite the notice, he said. 

“Sad to say sariwang sariwa yung basura sa likod. Talagang tuloy tuloy yung operations nila na hindi nagbago (Sad to say, you can see the fresh garbage at the back. They really carried on with their operations, they did not change at all),” Antiporda said. 

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu at the start of the year ordered that all open dumpsites must be closed by the end of March this year.

During Friday's closure operation, the agency was able to confiscate one backhoe, one bulldozer, and three dump trucks. A cease-and-desist order was also issued to the local government unit of Sta. Ana.

“The national government is doing something to wake them up and gigisingin talaga natin sila (and we will definitely wake them up),” the undersecretary said. 

He furthered that if needed, the department will file cases against the local government.

“We will run after them, and of course penalize them also para alam nila na hindi na maaring pabayaan ang usaping basura (for them to realize that the issue on waste should not be neglected),” he said. 

A rehabilitation effort for the uncovered dumpsite will follow.