Davao City garbage woes worsen amid landfill closure
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Garbage collection and disposal across the city have been significantly disrupted following the suspension of operations of the city’s major landfill, as search and retrieval operations continue for an elderly woman buried in a trash collapse at the site nearly two weeks ago.
The suspension has significantly disrupted garbage collection and disposal across the city, which is home to at least 1.8 million residents generating around 750 metric tons of waste daily, much of which previously ended up at the landfill site.
Search and retrieval operations have continued for two weeks for the elderly woman who was buried when a mountain of garbage collapsed on May 20 at the 11-hectare city government-run landfill in Barangay New Carmen here.
READ: DENR eyes suspension of Davao landfill after fatal trash slide
Capt. Hazel Caballero, spokesperson for the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), said the operation involves personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection’s Special Rescue Unit, local emergency response teams from the DCPO, the City Engineering Office, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and volunteer organizations.
Displaced villagers
The victim was reportedly trapped inside one of 15 houses buried by debris when the trash slide occurred in the early afternoon of May 20. Two other individuals were confirmed dead in the incident.
Police immediately cordoned off the area after the collapse to prevent residents from returning to the affected community. About 500 displaced individuals have been temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers.
READ: Davao landfill had prior violations before deadly trash slide – DENR
The site has also been declared off-limits to scavengers as the city government carries out stabilization measures.
The landfill incident prompted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend its operations.
City Information Officer Harvey Lanticse said the suspension took effect on May 22. However, the city government requested on May 26 that the DENR reconsider the order following a geotechnical assessment and corrective measures recommended by experts.
Following the landfill’s closure, several homeowners’ associations and barangay governments have urged residents to temporarily keep their garbage at home while collection systems remain strained.
In some urban villages, garbage collection continues, although the final disposal site for collected waste has not been clearly identified.
Councilor Temujin Ocampo, chair of the City Council committee on environment, said a supplemental budget for the completion of a new sanitary landfill adjacent to the existing site has been approved on second reading.
The new facility is about halfway completed.
Ocampo expressed hope that with sufficient funding, the city government can comply with DENR requirements and complete the new landfill to help stabilize the city’s waste management system and prevent similar incidents in the future. /cb /atm
