The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has suspended operations at the Davao City sanitary landfill following a trash slide on May 20 that killed one person, injured two others, and left two missing.
The collapse, triggered by days of heavy rain in Barangay New Carmen, exposed long‑standing issues: the facility had been monitored since January and cited in March for operating without proper permits, failing pollution standards, and having inadequate waste treatment.
Earlier inspections also noted steep slopes, damaged infrastructure, and informal settlements near the site.
The landfill, which handles nearly 800 tons of waste daily and is nearly full, will remain closed until deemed safe; the city is advancing a new facility and partial waste diversion. DENR officials stressed the incident highlights the urgent need to finish required safety upgrades.
Separately, a May 17 check found Philippine Sanjia‑Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental still failed to meet key environmental rules, despite penalties and follow‑ups since 2024. The firm lacks required emission monitoring, an environmental audit, and a community monitoring team. This comes amid separate reports of detected radioactive materials at the site. Authorities will keep enforcing regulations while a nuclear research body assesses possible health and environmental risks.
