DENR, Baste figure in ‘garbage war’

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Garbage has piled up in front of the office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Davao City after Mayor Sebastian Duterte designated the area as one of the waste collection points.

This developed after the DENR suspended the operation of the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill following a trash slide that buried 15 houses and killed two people on May 20.

“To manage waste collection moving forward, we have identified additional collection points including one in front of the DENR office so they can personally appreciate the volume of garbage that accumulates when an essential public service is halted indefinitely,” Duterte said, referring to DENR officials.

The closure of the landfill has disrupted the city’s garbage collection operation, causing piles of trash to accumulate all over the city.

Davao City’s nearly two million residents generate about 750 metric tons of waste daily.

Duterte said the closure of the landfill posed health risks to residents.

Following the trash slide, the city government relocated families living near the landfill to a safer area.

“What remains are corrective measures that can be undertaken while allowing the landfill operation to continue based on sound and practical judgment,” Duterte said.

He said the city is complying with all requirements set by the DENR.

Meanwhile, the DENR-Davao denied that President Marcos ordered the closure of the landfill.

DENR regional executive director Ma. Mercedes Dumagan said the decision to suspend the landfill operation was made at the regional level, in coordination with the city government.

In a post on social media, the DENR said the closure was intended to secure retrieval operation, enable geotechnical checks and protect communities.

The agency said corrective measures are underway such as slope stabilization, drainage control and safety protocols. It said it presented options to the city government such as temporary disposal sites, co-processing and fast-tracking the development of a new sanitary landfill to address the issue.

“Our teams are working daily with the local government to ensure corrective measures and safe resumption of the operation,” the DENR said. — Josiah Antonio