CEBU CITY TRASH SLIDE AFTERMATH: DENR to inspect landfills nationwide

National

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered a nationwide inspection of all operating sanitary landfills following the deadly landfill collapse in Barangay Binaliw, Cebu City.

DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the review will assess landfill safety, remaining operational lifespan, and compliance with environmental regulations. The initiative also opens the possibility of amending the country’s solid waste management law to address weak enforcement and emerging environmental risks.

“We acknowledge that there are challenges. Implementation has been uneven,” Lotilla said in a Philippine Star report, citing increased waste generation, rapid urban growth, heavy rainfall, and seismic activity as added risks.

The review will focus on compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. This includes evaluating landfill capacity, geological stability, and adherence to environmental compliance certificates.

The Environmental Management Bureau, in coordination with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), will examine slope stability, overcapacity issues, and other geological hazards. The DENR will also assist local governments whose landfills are nearing the end of their operational life, including assessing possible expansion or identifying new sites.

Lotilla said the Binaliw incident exposed gaps in the law’s implementation. While he noted that RA 9003 remains fundamentally sound, enforcement has been uneven since it took effect in 2000.

The DENR is also participating in congressional discussions on proposed amendments to the law, including clearer guidelines on new waste technologies and stronger accountability from households to local governments.

Data from the DENR shows that 92 percent of local government units have submitted solid waste management plans. However, only about 53 percent of waste nationwide is disposed of in sanitary landfills, with the rest often improperly handled.

Beyond infrastructure, Lotilla stressed the need to improve waste segregation at the household level, which remains inconsistent.

The DENR has also formed an independent, multi-sectoral team of experts from academe and civil society to investigate the Binaliw collapse, alongside its legal and enforcement units.(Adriane Josef E. Cabase, USJ-R Comm Intern)