Putting out fires is the priority

This week, one of the things that has been on my mind is the numerous posts about poor air quality and haze in Metro Manila. While government agencies and NGOs talked about vehicle emissions, I did not find much more on the subject.

Judging from what I know, see and literally have to clean up myself, I think that it has been a combination of many things. Here in Kapitolyo, Pasig, we are surrounded by so many construction projects, many of which send up dust particles from cement, concrete works, etc.

I know this because of all the dust that accumulates on our solar panels overnight. The dust is so bad we have to dry mop the panels every other day. The summer heat of course contributes in lifting the dust particles into the atmosphere, so no surprises there.

Then yesterday someone sent me a message of concern:

“Good morning. Can you please check this out. Someone claims the Navotas landfill that’s been burning is owned by RSA. He bought it daw because it’s near the Bulacan airport?

“Even more, the former owner daw said protocols on decommissioning of landfill was not followed, instead construction went ahead.”

As I have learned from the Bible, always go directly to the person involved. So I reached out to someone at San Miguel Corporation to verify the claim and get their side of the story, and they sent me a copy of their email response released last week:

SMAI supports fire response, clarifies role in Navotas landfill

“San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI) said it is supporting efforts to respond to the fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill Facility (NSLF) by deploying heavy equipment, barges and tankers in coordination with local authorities and other relevant government agencies.

“The company clarified, however, that it does not operate or manage the landfill. Although it acquired the property through a court-approved expropriation in 2023, SMAI said it entered the area only in February 2026 to allow for a proper transition, given the landfill’s role in Metro Manila’s waste disposal system.

“Phil Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), which operated the landfill under a concession agreement with the Navotas City Government, remained the facility’s operator until the agreement expired in August 2025.

“Phil Ecology Systems Corp. stayed on site afterward to undertake the landfill’s closure and rehabilitation, but did not carry out the work and left the facility in February 2026, despite SMAI’s clearance for the closure work to proceed.

“The Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the Navotas Sanitary Land Fill makes clear that Phil Ecology Systems Corp. remains responsible for complying with its obligations under the ECC and Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

“This includes the implementation of the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).

“Amid the ongoing situation, SMAI said it remains focused on helping contain the fire, protect public safety and work with relevant government agencies to address the incident as quickly and safely as possible.”

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It is no surprise that with all the accumulated waste, methane buildup and no active oversight from the landfill operator, that the fires would happen as they already have. Whether it is a compost heap in a farm or a sanitary landfill, nature lights things up.

I also learned that the reason San Miguel AeroCity acquired the area is because of right-of-way requirements connected with the future San Miguel Bulacan Airport, but they have not and cannot build anything on it at the moment.

As expected, there will be people turning and tossing the issue the same way we turn compost at the farm. There is already some amount of fault finding, blame throwing even as the fires continue to burn. The priority is to put out the fire.

Let the authorities do their jobs, and hold them responsible for allowing this situation to even get this far. Penalize whomever should be penalized, but stop letting regulators, agency officials etc. hide behind the smoke screen!

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While the Navotas landfill is up in smoke, members of the Chamber of Real Estate Builders and Developers have smoke coming out of their ears.

Today the officials from the CREBA or Chamber of Real Estate and Builder’s Association will present their position at the Senate regarding the state of affairs relative to low cost housing, builders and developers burdened by government socialized costs as well as other taxes.

Housing industry leaders are asking the government to institute major reforms in the delivery of socialized housing to underprivileged citizens, given the recent Gallup report ranking the Philippines as the worst in terms of housing affordability.

CREBA called for “immediate recalibration of the Balanced Housing Development (BHD) requirement,” a “social housing production quota” imposed on private developers under the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA).

It requires developers to develop socialized housing equivalent to 15 percent of their subdivision project cost or five percent of the condominium cost.

“However, we urge judiciousness in promulgating its implementing rules – to ensure those infirmities are not exacerbated, the social objectives are not warped.

“Businesses must be insulated from oppressive requirements, arbitrariness and extortive or corrupt influences and to make it more responsive to the needs of the homeless poor, without crippling the primary providers of housing.”

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