The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao (DENR-11) said the suspension order on the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Davao City will remain in effect until all safety and engineering measures required are completed.

DENR-11 said these interventions are necessary to secure ongoing retrieval operations, support evacuations, and protect workers and nearby communities following a trash slide on May 20, 2026, that left two people dead and another missing, as of this writing.

“Since then, DENR technical teams have conducted inspections and coordination meetings with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), City Engineer’s Office, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) to guide rehabilitation works,” DENR-11 Regional Executive Director, Atty. Ma. Mercedes Dumagan, said.

DENR-11 added that the office is coordinating with national and local offices to ensure a safe reopening of the landfill.

“The cooperation between the DENR regional offices, Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Region XI, and the City Government of Davao has been consistent and constructive. Everyone is aligned on the same goal: to restore operations safely and protect the communities around SLF,” Dumagan added.

In a statement, DENR-11 said it has presented several options to help the local government cope with the suspension, including temporary disposal coordination with neighboring LGUs such as Sta. Cruz and Panabo, co-processing arrangements with Holcim-Geocycle for residual waste, fast-tracking the use of a new sanitary landfill under development, and establishing a temporary disposal area within the current sanitary landfill, subject to slope stabilization.

DENR-11 said the local government filed a motion for reconsideration, proposing a temporary disposal area inside the sanitary landfill, subject to DENR-identified engineering interventions.

“The city committed to completing these by June 9, pending DENR verification, stabilization, drainage controls, and other engineering interventions,” DENR-11 said.

EMB-11 director, Alnulfo Alvarez, said the agency also recognized the urgency to resume landfill operations, but he also emphasized that safety remains the foremost consideration.

“Our teams are on the ground every day with the LGU. We recognize the operational pressure the city is facing, but we cannot compromise public safety and environmental protection,” Alvarez said.

DENR said it will validate compliance once the local government completes the required works.

“We appreciate the LGUs cooperation and the urgency with which they are acting. Once we confirm that all safety measures are in place, we can consider lifting the suspension order,” Alvarez added.

BASTE BLAMES DENR

Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has blamed the closure of the sanitary landfill for the delays in garbage collection.

Duterte maintained that corrective measures can be undertaken while allowing landfill operations to continue.

“The people living around the landfill have already been evacuated. The threat to human life has been addressed. What remains are corrective measures that can be undertaken while allowing landfill operations to continue based on sound and practical judgment,” Duterte said. The city’s chief local executive also slammed DENR for allegedly halting landfill operations without providing a clear timeline for its reopening. On Friday, June 5, 2026, Duterte issued another statement in response to DENR’s request for a dialogue.

Duterte clarified that the development of the new sanitary landfill adjacent to the existing facility has been ongoing since 2024.

He added that even before the trash slide, preparations for an alternative facility were already in progress.

“The Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the project has already been secured, and only the finalization of the loading bay remain pending, with completion expected by June 16, 2026,” Duterte said.

Duterte reiterated that based on their assessment and observations, conditions at the existing landfill have improved to a level that would allow operations to resume safely while remaining corrective measures are being carried out.

“Accordingly, should our recommendation be given due weight, the need to consider your office as a garbage collection point may no longer arise prior to the new facility becoming operational on June 16, 2026,” Duterte said.

“Above all, we remain guided by our responsibility to safeguard the health, dignity, and well-being of the people of Davao. We thank every Dabawenyo for their patience, understanding, and cooperation as we continue to address this matter with resolve, accountability, and the public interest at heart,” Duterte added.