The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has called on all local government units (LGUs) in the country to rehabilitate their open dumpsites that have been ordered closed by the agency in a bid to prevent negative impacts and risks to the environment.
DENR Sec. Roy Cimatu said on Saturday that LGUs should come up with a safe closure and rehabilitation plan (SCRP), which is a requirement after the closure of the open dumpsites in their area of jurisdiction.
"Closing the dumpsite is just the first step. Your responsibility doesn’t end there. You (LGUs) have to proactively implement rehabilitation because it is a requirement for closure," he said, adding that they must also accomplish the rehabilitation projects indicated in their SCRP.
In May 2021, DENR completed the closure of 335 open dumpsites in the country, in line with Cimatu's directive to implement the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Cimatu cited as an example the municipality of Sta. Ana in Pampanga for managing to clear its open dumpsite of all waste in September. This came after closure order was issued to the municipal government after it turned its materials recovery facility or MRF into an open dumpsite.
The municipal government even allocated P9.5 million for the clearing of the MRF, where about 20,096.28 tons or 1,100 truckloads of waste were disposed at the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation Sanitary Landfill.