WITH the closure of its landfill, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte ordered the establishment of a garbage collection point in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office, if only to insinuate the severity of the local situation.
In a statement, Duterte blamed the DENR for shutting down the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill following a trash slide on May 20.
Duterte said dumping garbage in front of the DENR regional office “would somehow make them realize and see firsthand the impact of the landfill shutdown.”
“Garbage collection operations are currently experiencing delays due to the closure of the New Carmen Sanitary Landfill as ordered by DENR, under the leadership of Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna,” Duterte stated.
“The longer this situation continues, the greater the risk of a public health and sanitation problem, not because of the waste itself, but because of the bureaucratic inaptitude of DENR.”
Duterte also assailed the DENR order, which according to him does not have a clear timeline for the reopening of the solid waste disposal facility.
“To manage waste collection moving forward, we have identified additional collection points, including one in front of the DENR XI office, so they can personally appreciate the volume of garbage that accumulates when an essential public service is halted indefinitely,” he said.
“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.”
The Davao City-based DENR regional office for its part said that they have been working closely with the city government to address issues in Davao City’s solid waste management system, particularly concerns regarding the safety and stability of the landfill facility.
They also denied reports circulating on social media claiming that the closure order came from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Fake news alert. President Marcos Jr. did not order a halt to garbage collection in Davao City,” the agency responded on Facebook, adding that the suspension order for the city’s sanitary landfill will remain in effect until all mandatory safety and engineering interventions are completed.
The agency likewise called on the city government to comply.
The landfill incident left two people dead, two injured and one still missing. Rescue efforts have already ceased but retrieval operations are still ongoing.
Some 180 families have been evacuated from high-risk zones.
