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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Unlawful!': DENR-EMB blasts trash dumping outside DENR office amid Davao landfill closure

'Unlawful!': DENR-EMB blasts trash dumping outside DENR office amid Davao landfill closure

Published Jun 6, 2026 02:24 pm
(DENR PHOTO)
(DENR PHOTO)
The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-EMB) denounced the dumping of garbage outside the department's regional office in Davao City, saying it violated environmental laws and undermined efforts to rehabilitate the city’s sanitary landfill following last month’s deadly trash-slide.
In a statement issued on Saturday, June 6, DENR-EMB said the dumping of garbage outside the regional office contravened Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which prohibits littering and illegal dumping.
The agency stressed that the law imposes penalties ranging from fines and community service to imprisonment for violators.
“Dumping trash in front of government offices is not only unlawful, it undermines the very principles of ecological solid waste management,” DENR-EMB Director Michael Drake Matias said.
“Our focus must remain on protecting lives, rehabilitating the landfill, and ensuring compliance with environmental standards,” he added.
The bureau noted that the suspension order issued against the Davao City Sanitary Landfill on May 21 was a technical decision aimed at securing retrieval operations, enabling geotechnical assessments, and protecting workers and nearby communities following the May 20 trash-slide.
It added that the incident left two persons dead, two others injured, and one individual still being retrieved.
As such, the DENR-EMB reiterated that claims linking President Marcos to the suspension of the landfill are false and misleading.
According to the agency, the suspension order was issued solely on technical and safety grounds.
The DENR-EMB, on the other hand, said corrective measures are ongoing at the landfill, including slope stabilization, drainage controls, and the implementation of stricter safety protocols.
To address waste disposal concerns while the facility remains closed, the bureau said it has presented several options to the Davao City local government, including coordination with neighboring local government units, co-processing arrangements with Holcim-Geocycle, fast-tracking the use of a new sanitary landfill, and establishing a temporary disposal area within the existing site subject to necessary engineering interventions.
Matias said the landfill could reopen as early as next week, provided all required corrective measures are fully implemented and verified.
RELATED STORY: https://mb.com.ph/2026/06/05/garbage-dumped-outside-denr-11-office-as-davao-city-protests-landfill-closure

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Unlawful DENR-EMB blasts trash dumping outside DENR office amid Davao landfill closure environment
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