Davao eyes June 16 opening of new landfill, subject to DENR clearance

Davao City is targeting the opening of its new sanitary landfill on June 16 as it moves to address the waste disposal problems caused by the suspension of its existing landfill. 

Environmental authorities, however, said the facility will only begin operations once it passes all required safety and environmental standards.

The planned reopening is expected to ease the city’s garbage collection concerns, which have persisted since the closure of the old landfill following a deadly trash slide last month.

In a statement released on June 12, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau in Davao Region (DENR-EMB Davao) said it recently met with the Davao City Government through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) to assess the progress of corrective measures and rehabilitation efforts.

According to the city government, construction work at the new sanitary landfill remains underway in preparation for the June 16 target date. 

Ongoing improvements include the concreting of the unloading bay, installation of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner, and benching of landfill cells to ensure environmental protection and operational safety.

A verification conducted by the DENR-EMB Davao Technical Inspection and Assessment Team confirmed continued progress at the new facility.

Despite the target opening date, DENR emphasized that operations will not automatically commence.

“Landfill operations will resume once the site is declared safe and the facilities are verified to be fully compliant with environmental and safety standards,” the agency said.

DENR-EMB Davao added that it has been conducting daily inspections and monitoring activities to ensure compliance with safety directives and evaluate the city’s rehabilitation efforts.

A comprehensive assessment was carried out on June 7 to review interim measures proposed by the city government in its appeal and progress report. Another inspection followed on June 8 to determine whether the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao had affected the stability of the waste disposal facilities.

The review comes after DENR issued a suspension order on May 22 against the Davao City Sanitary Landfill following a trash slide on May 20 that killed two people, injured two others, and left one person missing.

Authorities initially linked the incident to instability in the waste mound, which was believed to have been worsened by prolonged and intense rainfall in the region.

Inspectors also observed full compliance with the suspension order at the existing landfill, noting the absence of waste dumping activities and waste pickers in the area. 

Authorities confirmed the evacuation of settlers living near the site and the continuation of grading and slope stabilization efforts to prevent another trash slide.

DENR-EMB Davao and the Davao City Government (DCG) said they will continue conducting evaluations and coordinating efforts before making a final decision on the operational status of the new landfill.