DENR to shut down 50 dumpsites by yearend

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it will shut down over 50 illegal dumpsites across the country before the end of the year.

“We target to close down more than 50 illegal dumpsites by December as part of our intensified enforcement of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a statement issued late last week.

The DENR earlier denied the request of the Quezon City government to reopen the Payatas sanitary landfill until December this year, citing serious environmental violations and susceptibility to trash slide.

Cimatu lamented that a lot of local government units (LGUs) still maintain open dumpsites, which are prohibited under RA 9003.

Aside from closing down the dumpsites, the official said the DENR will also press charges against LGU executives who allow the continued operation of open dumps in their localities.

“RA 9003 gives prime importance to the roles of LGUs in managing solid wastes. They are primarily responsible for the law’s implementation, not the DENR,” Cimatu said.

“The DENR’s role is limited to monitoring the compliance of LGUs with the law,” he pointed out.

Cimatu said the DENR will shut down all open dumps that pose serious public health threats and adverse environmental impacts.

He said the agency plans to close a total of 500 illegal dumpsites before the term of President Duterte ends in 2022.

In Dagupan City, the commissioner of the National Solid Waste Management Commission said about 100 LGUs across the country are to be charged for violation of RA 9003.

Crispian Lao told local reporters recently that 50 LGUs comprised the first batch of those sued for violation of the law and the second batch of charges is up for filing at the Office of the Ombudsman.

“A lot of them are operating dumpsite and not doing anything about it and continually operate dumpsites, which is a violation of law. Our law states that by 2006, all dumpsites should have been closed,” Lao said.

He said the ombudsman will be filing the cases for violation of RA 9003 focused on the operation of open and controlled dumps. If proven guilty, violators face perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Meanwhile, an $11-million waste-to-worth facility, the first of its kind in the country to process waste materials of Dagupan into diesel and methane gas, is up for construction following the signing of a joint venture agreement between Procter and Gamble and the city government last week. 

The facility is expected to create approximately 4,000 liters of diesel from plastic materials and 6,000 kilograms of usable methane from food waste per day in this city. 

Jill Boughton, president and chief executive officer of SURE Global Waste to Worth Innovations, told local reporters that construction would start in about a year.  

Operational for 20 years, the facility will be managed by SURE Global, which has similar projects in Angeles City and Cabuyao.