Landfill lapses blamed in Navotas blaze

Environmental regulators have flagged serious operational lapses at the Navotas sanitary landfill, pointing to failures in basic waste management practices that may have fueled the recent fire.

In a briefing, Janice Pammit of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) said multiple factors likely contributed to the incident, including methane buildup intensified by extreme heat. The official cause, however, will be determined by the Bureau of Fire Protection.

Pammit cited violations of Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) conditions, particularly the failure to implement daily soil covering and the incomplete installation of gas vent pipes—both critical safeguards against fires in landfill sites.

“Daily soil covering kasi isa sa condition na dapat nagkakaroon ng daily soil covering doon sa area, one of the major na hindi nila nagawa based on our initial inspection. Yan po yung findings, hindi po nakapag-daily soil cover (because one of the conditions is that there should be daily soil covering in that area, one of the major things they failed to do, based on our initial inspection. Those are the findings. They did not perform daily soil cover),” she said, referring to former operator Philippine Ecology Systems Corp..

She added that required gas vent pipes—designed to release methane and prevent dangerous buildup—were not fully installed, contrary to guidelines set by the National Solid Waste Management Commission.

“Doon sa kanilang ECC, there are a number of gas vent pipes na dapat nandoon sa area, but apparently hindi nailagay lahat. Mayroon pong gas vent pipes pero hindi kompleto (In their ECC, there are a number of gas vent pipes that should have been in the area, but apparently not all of them were installed. There are gas vent pipes, but they are not complete),” Pammit said.

The DENR-EMB also raised concerns over delays in implementing a Safe Closure, Rehabilitation, and Abandonment Plan (SCRAP), a key requirement to properly seal and rehabilitate landfill sites. According to Pammit, the operator had only completed about 10 percent of the required soil cover after its franchise expired in August 2025 and has yet to submit a revised closure plan.

“Ten percent lang yung soil cover na nagawa nila (They only completed 10 percent of the soil cover),” she said.

“Hanggang ngayon po ay wala pa pong sinasubmit na panibagong safe closure (Until now, no new safe closure has been submitted),” she added.

The agency has issued multiple notices of violation against the operator, with penalties reaching up to PHP50,000 per day for ECC noncompliance.

Meanwhile, Norlito Eneran said the DENR is coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General to assess possible administrative, civil, and criminal liabilities.

“We’re looking at civil, as well as criminal, if warranted,” he said.

Despite the blaze, the DENR-EMB reported improving air quality in Metro Manila, noting that particulate matter levels remain within acceptable standards, even in Navotas. Water quality tests in surrounding areas are still underway, with results expected soon.

Fire suppression efforts continue, led by the BFP, including slope stabilization, soil covering, and cooling operations. A disaster response team from the Japan International Cooperation Agency has also assisted in refining containment strategies.

Authorities said coordination among national agencies, local governments, and emergency responders remains ongoing as efforts shift toward fully containing the landfill fire.