DENR halts dumpsite operations in Aeta ancestral land in Zambales 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday that it has already issued a cease and desist order on the illegal dumpsite within the ancestral domain of an Aeta community in Subic, Zambales.

“So itong dumpsite na tinutukoy ninyo, mayroon kaming cease and desist order already. In fact, two days ago, huling inspection ng ating regional office, hindi na po tinatapunan ngayon. And I think they have an alternative site already in Floridablanca,” said DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna in a Kapihan sa Manila Hotel.

(So regarding this dumpsite you are referring to, we already have a cease and desist order. In fact, two days ago, during the latest inspection by our regional office, no waste was being dumped there anymore. And I think they already have an alternative site in Floridablanca.)

The plight of the affected Aeta community came to light following a documentary by “i-Witness.”

What was once a green landscape is now composed of trash, and local water sources have been contaminated by the garbage.

While dumping operations were suspended in October 2025 and the facility was formally closed in March due to protests from local indigenous groups, the accumulated waste has yet to be fully cleared.

The local government claimed that they were not aware that there was an indigenous community living near the dumpsite.

Garbage collection efforts have also reportedly begun, as confirmed by the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 3, noting that the waste will be transferred to an authorized sanitary landfill.

Further, the DENR admitted that the implementation of the Republic Act No. 9003 or the National Solid Waste Management Act of 2001 - which prohibits operating open dumpsites or allowing the unauthorized collection and transport of solid wastes - has never been easy.

Cuna noted that several fourth to sixth class municipalities do not have the capacity to establish landfills in their own areas.

“Maraming LGU are experiencing difficulty kung saan po magtatapon. Una, lalo na yung mga fourth, fifth, sixth class municipalities, wala pong lugar para magtayo ng landfill sa kanilang mga jurisdiction or wala silang kakayahan in terms of resources para gastusan ang landfill,” he said.

(Many LGUs [Local Government Units] are experiencing difficulty with where to dispose of their waste. First of all, especially the fourth, fifth, and sixth class municipalities, they have no space to build a landfill within their jurisdictions, or they lack the capability in terms of resources to fund a landfill.)

The DENR chief said that everyone has the responsibility to properly manage waste.

“Kailangan magsimula rin sa ating mga kababayan mismo. Yung mga kababayan natin, alam niyo, masakit man aminin…nakikita natin yung amount of litter na umaabot sa mga katubigan, siyempre nanggagaling sa mga tao ito,” said Cuna.

(It also needs to start with our fellow citizens themselves. Our fellow citizens, you know, as painful as it is to admit... we see the amount of litter reaching our waterways, and of course, this comes from people.)

“Kahit anong material ‘yan, kung maayos ang pagtatapon natin, hindi po tayo magkakaproblema na hinaharap natin ngayon.”

(Whatever material that is, if we dispose of it properly, we wouldn't have the problems we are facing today.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/LDF, GMA News