The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XI on Friday firmly dismissed false reports claiming President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the suspension of garbage collection in Davao City. Officials clarified the measure was a purely regional decision, with no input or direction from the President.
The suspension of operations at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill was issued by DENR Region XI on May 21, 2026, a day after a trash-slide incident that killed two people, injured two others, and left one person still being recovered as of June 1. The order was put in place to ensure safety during search and retrieval efforts, allow geotechnical assessments, and prevent further harm to workers and nearby residents.
Regional executive director Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan explained the action was a technical call made in close coordination with the local government. She emphasized that since the suspension began, teams have worked daily with the city government to design fixes and prepare for safe resumption of services, stressing again that the President had no role in the matter.
To help the city manage waste while corrections are ongoing, DENR has offered several solutions: temporary disposal arrangements with nearby local governments like Sta. Cruz and Panabo, co-processing of residual waste through Holcim‑Geocycle, speeding up development of a new sanitary landfill, and setting up a controlled temporary disposal zone within the existing site after engineering checks.
Regional director Alnulfo M. Alvarez said these options show the agency is enforcing rules while providing practical support, adding that authorities are guiding the local government through every step. DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna praised the collaboration between national and local teams, noting that governance works best when guided by science and focused on community safety.
The city government has committed to finishing all required improvements by June 9, 2026. DENR will then verify compliance, and the suspension will only be lifted once all safety standards are met.
