CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered a nationwide review and inspection of all operating sanitary landfills following the deadly landfill collapse in Binaliw, Cebu.
The move signals an openness to amending the country’s solid waste management law to address gaps in enforcement and changing environmental conditions.
DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the comprehensive review aims to reassess landfill safety, remaining lifespan and compliance with environmental standards amid increased waste generation, extreme rainfall and seismic activity.
“We acknowledge that there are challenges. Implementation has been uneven. Urbanization continues to generate pressure on our waste systems, and incidents like the one that took place in the Cebu landfill tragedy remind us of the cost of weak compliance,” Lotilla said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
The review will evaluate compliance with Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, including landfill capacity, geological stability and adherence to environmental compliance certificates.
The Environmental Management Bureau, in coordination with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), will reexamine slope stability, overcapacity issues and other geological risks.
Lotilla said the DENR will prioritize assisting local government units whose landfill facilities are nearing the end of their operational life. The MGB will help LGUs assess the geological suitability of proposed expansion areas or new landfill sites once locations are identified.
The nationwide inspection follows the Binaliw landfill collapse, which Lotilla said exposed weaknesses in the implementation of RA 9003. While he maintained that the law remains sound in principle, he acknowledged uneven enforcement since its passage in 2000.
He said the DENR is participating in congressional discussions on proposed amendments to RA 9003, including measures to clarify the use of newer waste management technologies and strengthen accountability across the waste chain, from households to local governments.
According to the DENR, 1,515 of the country’s 1,642 LGUs, or 92 percent, have submitted the required solid waste management plans.
However, only about 53 percent of waste generated nationwide is disposed of in sanitary landfills, with the remainder often improperly managed.
Beyond infrastructure and policy reforms, Lotilla emphasized the need to strengthen segregation at source, which remains inconsistent despite reported compliance among LGUs.
As part of its response, the DENR has also formed an independent multi-sectoral investigative body composed of experts from the academe and civil society to determine accountability and technical causes of the Binaliw incident, alongside the agency’s legal and enforcement teams.
Lotilla said the DENR is participating in congressional discussions on proposed amendments to RA 9003, including measures to clarify the use of newer waste management technologies and strengthen accountability across the waste chain, from households to local governments.
| Written by Christine Boton
