The local government of Malabon issued a cease and desist order to a waste management and sanitation company on Wednesday, Sept. 11, following reports on the firm's improper facility usage and other violations.
The city ordered a temporary suspension of the company’s operations at the Malabon Transfer station in Barangay Panghulo.
“Ating inilabas ang cease and desist order na ito laban sa MSWMC dahil sa mga reklamo pagdating sa maling pamamahala ng mga basura na nakolekta nito sa Malabon Transfer Station na siyang nakapagbibigay ng hindi magandang epekto hindi lamang sa ating kapaligiran, kung hindi maging sa kalusugan at pamumuhay ng mga Malabueño. Prayoridad natin ang kalusugan ng bawat Malabueño, kaya ating sisiguruhing malinis ang kapaligiran dahil ito ay para rin sa kalikasan at ating kinabukasan. Ang tamang pamamahala ng mga basura sa lungsod ang siya ring ating kailangan upang hindi tayo lubhang maapektuhan ng pagbabaha lalo na ngayong panahon ng tag-ulan (We have issued this cease and desist order against the MSWMC due to complaints regarding the mismanagement of the waste collected by it at the Malabon Transfer Station which has a negative impact not only on our environment, but also on the health and lifestyle of the Malabueños. The health of every Malabueño is our priority, so we will make sure the environment is clean because it is also for nature and our future. Proper waste management in the city is also what we need so that we are not severely affected by flooding, especially this rainy season),” Mayor Jeannie Sandoval said.
According to the City Legal Department (CLD), the order was issued after it failed to receive any response from the Metrowaste Solid Waste Management Corporation (MSWMC) to several notices it sent regarding the complaints of residents including foul odor, stockpiled garbage directly dumped on the ground, delayed garbage collection on streets and major roads, and unsanitary conditions within the area.
The CLD clarified that the Malabon Transfer Station, located within the MSWMC compound in the barangay, is intended as a temporary facility where waste collected by small dump trucks is to be properly sorted before being transferred to larger trucks for transport to designated disposal sites.
It noted that under the MSWMC agreement with the city government, waste must not be placed or dumped on the ground but should be promptly segregated and transferred to larger dump trucks.
An investigation by the city government revealed that unsegregated waste was improperly dumped on the ground around the Malabon Transfer Station, violating both the agreement with MSWMC and the Temporary Lifting Order issued by the DENR-EMB-NCR. The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) also discovered that some waste had mixed with water in flooded areas of the facility and that the facility lacked proper drainage or had nonfunctional water treatment systems to manage leachate from the waste.
In response, the CLD has issued a cease and desist order to temporarily suspend MSWMC's operations at the transfer station. This measure will prevent further waste from entering the facility until MSWMC addresses the removal of existing waste, resolves the foul odor issue, implements alternative waste transfer solutions, and ensures that all water treatment and drainage systems are fully operational.
While MSWMC’s garbage collection services in the city will continue, the company may only use the transfer station for parking and dispatching garbage trucks. Additionally, CENRO has requested an updated schedule of MSWMC's hauling operations across the 21 barangays to support the city's health and environmental recovery efforts following recent flooding.