WEEKS after a garbage hill collapsed in Cebu City dumpsite where dozens were buried alive, another tragedy took place — this time at the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill in Montalban (formerly Rodriguez), Rizal.
A trashslide is usually triggered by continuous rains or floods which loosen the soil used in covering the trash — thereby causing erosion– in a mixed trash setting, which had been banned under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
This is not the first time such a trashslide occurred in a solidwaste management facility located at the border of Montalban and Quezon City in Metro Manila. A more serious trashslide occurred on April 24, 2013 and then on August 16, 2025 which was caused by chest-deep flood waters.
NON-COMPLIANT
Back in 2013, conditions were set by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), one of which reads “the height of landfill should not exceed 10 feet.”
However, verified information showed the height of the garbage pile at the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill prior to the tragedy was more than 20 feet, or twice as much as what is allowed by the NSWMC.
Photos provided by netizens in the area also showed mixed garbage, an indication of failure in the implementation of RA 9003 which stipulates mandatory segregation (separating the recyclable to the compost) before trash is dumped into the landfill.
In a statement farmed out by Kadamay Secretary-General Mimi Doringo, around 50 persons (mostly scavengers) have remained missing, citing information of local residents. Under the NSWMC guidelines, only accredited (or authorized) persons would be allowed inside the facility.
Kadamay also expressed doubt if the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill has perforated pipes which would have served as an exhaust duct to release methane in the air.
Ecowaste Coalition’s Romeo Hidalgo, in his capacity as representative of the non-government organizations in the Commission also noted the presence of a mining site 500 meters away from the landfill.
NEWS BLACKOUT
The Rizal Provincial Government has yet to issue a statement on the incident that took place on February 20 but was only made known to the public by Kadamay.
According to Kadamay, the portion of the landfill where tragedy struck is being operated by private firm International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc. (ISWIMS).
“Sa totoo lang, wala talaga kaming maayos na datos. Nag-aano lang kami dun sa sinasabing 50 dahil may mga tantsa ng mga kausap namin na may ganung karaming pamilya na nag-aabang pa ng update,” she said.
Two minor siblings survived after being submerged in the mound of garbage for over an hour — “Yung isa, hanggang bewang yung basura sa kanya. Yung isa, hanggang leeg. Mabuti na lang daw na nakita sila nung ibang mga tao,” Doringo said.
In a Pinoy Weekly news report, an advocacy group which calls itself Protect Rizal attributed the garbage hill collapse to a nearby quarry blasting prior to the incident.
MEDIAMEN SHOOED
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan – Rizal Chapter alleged that the landfill operator ISWIMS has imposed a ban on media covering the incident, adding that the police involved in the alleged cover-up are also patrolling the area.
The group said a resident scavenger, who supposedly secured and uploaded photos of the incident to social media, was visited by ISWIMS’ personnel and allegedly intimidated into deleting the post.
“[A]t sa kasalukuyan, hindi pinoprotektahan ng batas ang tinakot na scavenger,” the group noted.
They asked the local government to allow the media and the residents to release information on the incident and to launch rescue and relief operations for those affected by the reported landslide.
“Maglunsad ng malalim at transparent na imbestigasyon, at panagutin ang mga responsable sa proyektong naglantad sa panganib ang buhay at kabuhayan ng mga mamamayan,” it said.
BRIBERY EXPOSED
Kadamay also exposed what looks more like a “damage control” that was done to keep the news from coming out.
Citing reports from the families living adjacent the area, a group of individuals introducing themselves as lawyers paid a visit in the area.
Among those who were approached the “lawyer” allegedly offered them money to not speak about the collapse — “Iniisip nung mag-asawa, kung tatanggapin nila yung pera, parang tatabunan na lang yung buhay ng anak nila,” Doringo shared.
It was not certain though if there were families who accepted the bribe in exchange of keeping their mouth shut on the incident.
The PH Insider went to Sitio 1B Harangan, Barangay San Isidro to collate more details from the affected families. Residents however spoke too little about the tragedy involving the landfill from where they depend their “livelihood.
DEAFENING SILENCE
In a news which came out in the ABS-CBN news portal, ISWIMS’s office was reportedly closed when a television news crew visited on Sunday morning. A landfill guard said there is no office work on weekends.
Meanwhile, the Montalban Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office said it has visited the landfill but refused to make a statement, saying ISWIMS should be made to comment instead.
Barangay San Isidro said it has not yet received an official report on the issue from residents, who have expressed fear over alleged plans to demolish their homes in view of the trashslide.
In 2013, a trash avalanche in the same landfill, operated by the same company, buried four landfill workers alive after two hours of non-stop heavy rain.
In 2008, the RPSL was temporarily shut down after it was found disposing of leachate, a toxic liquid substance from the landfill, to the Montalban river.
CASUALTY COUNT
The reported landfill collapse comes a little more than a month after a similar incident at Binaliw landfill in Cebu City in early January. Dozens were killed.
In a phone interview with GMA News Online, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said onsite response teams at the Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill reported three initial fatality count.
The deceased were all women, the PDRRMO said, adding that it is continually verifying reports on the ground.
Kadamay said over 50 people are missing in the wake of the incident, although The PH Insider could not immediately verify such information as of posting time.
In July 2000, the 19-hectare Rizal Provincial Sanitary Landfill in San Isidro, Rodriguez collapsed due to incessant rains that led to unleashing trash in an adjacent creek.
ECOWASTE PLEADS
The Ecowaste Coalition, an environmental network of over 85 public interest groups, called on the inter-agency National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) to ferret out the truth behind the incident that evokes memories of the tragic Payatas garbage slide in July 2000.
“We call on the NSWMC to get to the bottom of the frightful breach in the boundary wall of the Rizal provincial dumpsite that sent trash cascading down the nearby creek,” said Romy Hidalgo of the Ecowaste Coalition’s Task Force against Dumps/Landfills.
“How could this happen to a much-trumpeted engineered facility that has received a seal of approval from the Environment Department and the NSWMC? Given the boom in landfill construction all over the country, we could not help but question the reliability of the rules governing disposal sites in terms of ensuring public health and safety.”
Hidalgo previously said that out of the 42,000 barangays in the country, only 5,000 had materials recovery facilities (MRFs) to segregate the recyclables and compost, which are being dumped together in landfills throughout the country.
USELESS GUIDELINES
Twenty years ago, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued Administrative Order No. 10, Series of 2006 or the “Guidelines on the Categorized Final Disposal Facilities” signed by then Secretary and NSWMC Chair Angelo Reyes.
AO 10 (series of 2006) specifies permitting, facility development and operating requirements for “sanitary” landfills.
“The incident is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait until the leachate takes its heavy toll on the water supply and the people’s health,” commented Rene Pineda, President of the Citizens Organization Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental Sustainability (COCAPES).
To avoid the health and environmental hazards, the EcoWaste Coalition asked the national and local authorities to move away from dumpsites and landfills and enforce waste prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and composting programs with people’s involvement and support.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
The EcoWaste Coalition likewise advised local officials to inspect disposal sites within their jurisdictions and conduct remedial steps to avert Payatas-like avalanches from happening during the rainy season.
There are 26 “sanitary” landfills (SLF) currently operating in the Philippines, and 25 that are undergoing construction on top of the 349 sites being eyed as host of the planned disposal facility.
Despite long being outlawed, a total of 1,235 open and “controlled” dumpsites continue to operate in various parts of the country. The data are from the second quarter of 2009 report of the NSWMC.