Navotas landfill still burning for 6 days, DPWH to send more men and equipment

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon on Thursday led the inspection of the Navotas Sanitary Landfill, which has been burning for almost six days.

According to a report of GMA News’ Bea Pinlac, Dizon was accompanied by the local government units (LGUs) of Navotas and  Obando, Bulacan, as well as the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in inspecting the still-smoldering landfill.

To help ongoing efforts in extinguishing the fire, the DPWH has deployed a backhoe, dredger, and two bulldozers. It will also send additional heavy equipment and would seek assistance from the private sector. The department is also expecting the completion of a concrete road connecting the landfill that will expedite the deployment of the heavy equipment to the site. 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said poor air quality indexes were recorded in areas reached by the thick, acrid smoke coming from the landfill.

EXPLAINER: Understanding how air quality is determined amid Navotas landfill fire

“Hindi kami mag-lilikas, nandito ang kabuhayan namin, eh. Amoy goma, mga sunog na kahoy at wire. Masakit na. Number one, bawal sa akin kasi may hika ako. Wala naman ako magagawa diyan. Tiis na lang. Ganun talaga,” a resident said. 

(We will not evacuate because our livelihood is here. We can smell burning rubber, wood, and wires. It hurts our eyes and I cannot inhale the smoke because of my asthma.But what can we do? We just have to bear with it.)

A fire broke out at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill started on Friday night, and continued throughout Saturday. The area was placed under control on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, more than 300 residents of Obando were forced to evacuate from their homes after suffocating from the smoke emanating from the landfill.

In Pinlac’s “24 Oras” report, the construction of the road is expected to be completed this week.

“Ang challenge na natin ngayon, walang ang daan na papunta dito sa ngayon. So lahat kailangan by barge. Ang problema sa barge, pag naglo-low tide hindi na makapasok ang barge at medyo mabagal at paunti-unti ang dating ng gamit,” Dizon said. 

(Our current challenge is that we do not have a road leading to the landfill, so we need a barge, but it cannot pass through when there is low tide, and the equipment arrives one by one.)

To completely put out the fire, soil and mud will be used to cover the parts of the landfill that are still burning.

“Ang importante muna, i-mobilize muna natin lahat ng equipment. Once na mobilized na iyan, then siguro in the next few days makakapagbigay na tayo ng mas definite na timeline,” Dizon said. 

(It is important to mobilize the equipment. Once we do that, we can probably give a more definite timeline.)

Although extinguishing the fire is the priority, the Navotas LGU said those responsible should still be held accountable.

The landfill has not been operational since 2025, but Navotas LGU said the former operator failed to implement the safe closure and rehabilitation plan, as residual waste was left behind, which is prone to catching fire during hot weather.

“In-abandon nila. Hindi nga nagsabi sa amin. Kami pa ang nagsumbong sa DENR. Kailangan talaga may managot. Kahit na natapos na ang operasyon, kailangan di mo basta-basta iwanan ’yan. Kailangan safe siya,” Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco said.

(They abandoned it. They did not even inform us. We were the ones who reported it to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Someone really needs to be held accountable. Even if operations have already ended, you can’t just leave it like that. It has to be made safe.) —with Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News