DAVAO CITY (June 16) — Davao City is preparing to open a new sanitary landfill as early as June 16, offering a potential solution to the waste disposal problems that emerged after the suspension of operations at the city’s existing landfill following a deadly trash slide last month.
Local officials and environmental regulators have been working closely to ensure that the new facility meets safety and environmental requirements before it begins accepting waste.
The move comes after a tragic incident on May 20 at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill, where a massive trash slide killed two people, injured two others, and left another person missing. Authorities said prolonged heavy rains likely contributed to the instability of the waste mound, prompting the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau in Davao Region (DENR-EMB-Davao) to suspend landfill operations on May 22.
Since then, the city government has been racing to establish an alternative disposal site while carrying out rehabilitation and safety measures at the old landfill.
In a statement issued June 12, 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 actions and environmental compliance measures.
Environmental regulators reported that daily inspections have been conducted since the suspension order was issued. These inspections aim to monitor compliance with safety directives and evaluate rehabilitation efforts at the existing landfill.
Among the measures required by DENR were the suspension of waste dumping activities, the prohibition of waste picking, and the implementation of stabilization works to reduce the risk of another trash slide.
Inspectors later confirmed that the city has complied with these directives. No waste disposal activities or waste pickers were observed at the site, while nearby residents have already been evacuated. Grading and slope stabilization activities also continue as part of the rehabilitation process.
At the same time, construction work is progressing at the new sanitary landfill. Officials said critical infrastructure is being completed, including the concreting of the unloading bay, installation of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner, and the benching of landfill cells. These features are designed to prevent environmental contamination and improve operational safety.
DENR’s Technical Inspection and Assessment Team verified that work at the new facility is moving forward as planned.
Additional assessments were conducted on June 7 and June 8, including inspections following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao. The earthquake prompted authorities to re-evaluate the structural integrity and safety of waste disposal facilities in the region.
Despite the city’s target opening date, DENR emphasized that the new landfill will only begin operations after it passes all necessary safety and environmental checks.
“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.
For residents, the opening of the new landfill is seen as an important step toward restoring normal waste management services while ensuring that the lessons learned from the recent tragedy lead to safer and more sustainable waste disposal practices.
DENR-EMB-Davao and the city government said they will continue conducting evaluations and coordinating closely before making a final decision on the facility’s operational status.
