The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region (DENR-Davao) has announced that it will lift the suspension order on Davao City's sanitary landfill once all required safety and engineering interventions have been completed. This statement comes more than two weeks after a trash-slide incident at the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen on May 20, which resulted in two fatalities, two injuries, and a halt to landfill operations while assessments and rehabilitation work continue.
Background of the Suspension
DENR-Davao regional executive director, lawyer Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan, explained that the agency issued the suspension order on May 21 to facilitate search and retrieval operations, conduct geotechnical assessments, and protect nearby communities from further risks. Since then, DENR technical teams have conducted daily inspections and coordination meetings with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), City Engineer's Office (CEO), and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRMO) to guide rehabilitation efforts.
“The cooperation between DENR regional offices, Environmental Management Bureau-Davao Region, and the City Government of Davao has been consistent and constructive. Everyone is aligned on the same goal: to restore operations safely and protect the communities around the SLF,” Dumagan said.
Safety Assessments and Monitoring
DENR and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) recognize the urgency of restoring landfill operations as garbage collection delays continue to affect parts of the city. However, officials stressed that public safety and environmental protection remain the top priorities. EMB-Davao Regional Director Alnulfo M. Alvarez said agency personnel have been present during assessments, including drone mapping, slope stability evaluations, leachate monitoring, and inspections of a proposed temporary disposal area within the landfill site.
“Once we confirm that all safety measures are in place, we can consider lifting the suspension order,” Alvarez said. About 180 families have already been evacuated from high-risk areas surrounding the landfill, while retrieval operations continue for one remaining missing individual. DENR said it will validate the city's compliance once all required corrective measures have been completed.
Alternative Disposal Options
To help address the city's waste disposal challenges, DENR outlined several temporary options. These include coordinating with neighboring local government units in Sta. Cruz and Panabo City, entering into co-processing arrangements with Holcim-Geocycle for residual waste, fast-tracking the completion of a new sanitary landfill, or establishing a temporary disposal area within the existing landfill while slope stabilization works are underway.
DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna commended the coordination between regional offices and the city government in responding to the incident. “This is how environmental governance should work. We will continue supporting the city until all safety requirements are met and operations can resume without putting anyone at risk,” Cuna said.
The agency said the city government has proposed a temporary disposal area within the sanitary landfill as part of its motion for reconsideration. The proposal remains subject to DENR verification and the completion of stabilization works, drainage controls, and other engineering interventions. City officials have committed to completing the required measures by June 9.
New Landfill Targeted by June 16
Mayor Sebastian Duterte said a new sanitary landfill adjacent to the existing facility has been under construction since 2024 and is expected to become operational by June 16. According to Duterte, the project has already secured its Environmental Compliance Certificate, with only the loading bay remaining under construction. He said preparations for an alternative disposal facility were already underway before the May 20 incident.
“Should our recommendation be given due weight, the need to consider your office as a garbage collection point may no longer arise prior to the new facility becoming operational on June 16, 2026,” Duterte said. The mayor also thanked residents for their patience and cooperation as the city works to address the garbage collection backlog.
DENR Debunks Online Claims
DENR also denied social media claims that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of garbage collection operations in Davao City. The agency clarified that the suspension order was issued by DENR on May 21 following the landfill collapse to allow retrieval operations, geotechnical assessments, and safety interventions. “Our teams are working daily with the LGU to ensure corrective measures and safe resumption,” DENR-Davao said in a statement released June 5.
Garbage Backlog Raises Health Concerns
The landfill closure has contributed to delays in garbage collection across the city, resulting in visible waste accumulation in several areas. Some piles of uncollected garbage have remained exposed to rain and heat, producing foul odors and leachate. In response, the City Health Office's Tropical Disease Prevention Unit conducted disinfection and decontamination activities at garbage collection points in several barangays.
Unit head Melodina Babante urged residents, communities, and government agencies to work together in addressing the problem. “This is a public concern. Dabawenyos, let us help one another and unite as communities and government agencies,” she said.
Duterte also criticized the indefinite suspension of landfill operations, saying DENR had yet to provide a timeline for reopening the facility. He warned that prolonged closure of the landfill could worsen public health and sanitation concerns, which he attributed not to the waste itself but to what he described as the “bureaucratic inaptitude of DENR.” “We are complying with all requirements. We only hope that decisions affecting around 750 tons of waste daily and nearly two million Dabawenyos are guided not only by regulations, but also by practical realities and common sense,” Duterte said.
Environmental Group Calls for Reforms
Davao City-based environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) said the crisis highlights the need for stronger community-based waste management systems. The group called on the city government to strengthen waste segregation at source, improve barangay participation, enhance collection systems, and prioritize long-term reforms.
“The people of Davao deserve a waste management system that is preventive, not reactive; community-driven, not top-down alone; and capable of preventing disasters rather than repeatedly responding to them after the fact,” IDIS said in a statement issued June 3. Idis warned that the onset of the southwest monsoon could worsen flooding and public health risks if accumulated waste continues to clog drainage systems and waterways. The group also noted the contrast between the city's tourism activities and the visible garbage buildup in some areas.
