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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Deadly trash slide puts Davao sanitary landfill at risk of suspension—DENR

Deadly trash slide puts Davao sanitary landfill at risk of suspension—DENR

Published May 22, 2026 01:51 pm

At A Glance

  • The DENR said it has pushed the local government to accelerate stabilization efforts at the landfill.
(MB FILE PHOTO/PIXABAY)
(MB FILE PHOTO/PIXABAY)
The Davao City Sanitary Landfill is now facing possible suspension after a trash slide on May 20 left one person dead, two injured, and two others missing,  the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.
The DENR said it has pushed the local government to accelerate stabilization efforts at the landfill.
According to the agency, the collapse occurred at around 1:10 p.m. in the active disposal area of the Davao City Sanitary Landfill in Barangay New Carmen following several days of heavy rain. 
Search and rescue teams from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), 911 Urban Search and Rescue, the City Engineers Office, and barangay responders were deployed, although unstable ground conditions limited access to the site, the DENR added.
The environment department said the City Engineers Office declared the area unsafe for full entry, prompting authorities to temporarily halt disposal operations and enforce perimeter control while technical teams assessed the extent of the waste movement.
Records from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-Region 11 showed that the landfill had already been under close monitoring since January.
Technical meetings between EMB-11 and the Davao City government were held on Jan. 20 and March 4 before the agency issued a Notice of Violation on March 19 over the facility’s lack of a discharge permit, failure to meet effluent standards, and inadequate leachate treatment system.
A technical conference conducted on April 29 also resulted in the city government committing to pay penalties and submit a pollution control program to address the violations.
The DENR said earlier inspections at the site documented steep waste slopes, a collapsed leachate pond, and the presence of informal waste pickers and makeshift dwellings near the landfill perimeter.
According to the agency, these findings prompted recommendations for slope stabilization measures, the partial closure of certain landfill sections, and the relocation of households located within the 200-meter buffer zone.
DENR Acting Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the incident highlighted the urgency of implementing corrective measures at the facility.
“Every life lost is unacceptable,” Cuna said.
“The DENR and the LGU 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,” he added.
The landfill currently receives an average of 786 tons of waste daily and is nearing full capacity, the DENR said.
The agency said a new sanitary landfill adjacent to the existing facility is already 52 percent complete, while the city government has also been diverting part of its waste through a co-processing agreement with Holcim Philippines subsidiary Geocycle.
Cuna said operations at the landfill would not resume once the site is suspended until it is declared safe.
“This is a moment for collaboration,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that Davao City’s waste facilities are safe, compliant and resilient,” he added.

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Deadly trash slide puts Davao Sanitary Landfill at risk suspension DENR Cuna
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