The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has strongly denounced the dumping of trash in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region XI office, describing the act as illegal and an unhelpful distraction from urgent work following the May 20 trash‑slide at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill. That incident killed two people, injured two others, and left one person still being recovered.
Officials explained the action violates Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which bans littering and unauthorized waste disposal; penalties range from fines and community service to imprisonment. EMB director Michael Drake Matias stated such acts go against the core goals of proper waste management and shift attention away from priorities like saving lives, repairing the landfill, and following environmental rules.
Operations at the site were suspended on May 21—one day after the slide—to support recovery work, conduct ground stability checks, and keep workers and nearby residents safe. The bureau also clarified that claims linking President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to the suspension are untrue; the decision was based entirely on technical and safety considerations.
Work to fix hazards is ongoing, including slope reinforcement, improved drainage, and tighter safety rules. The EMB has offered the local government several responsible waste handling options: coordinating with nearby cities, partnering with Holcim‑Geocycle for waste processing, speeding up use of a new landfill site, or setting up a temporary disposal zone within the current premises once engineering measures are in place. Matias added the landfill may reopen as early as next week, provided all safety fixes are completed and officially verified.
