THE City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) in Davao City noted a noticeable uptick in garbage collection following the Kadayawan Festival.
Engineer Lakandiwa Orcullo, head of Cenro’s Environmental Waste Management Division, shared that for August 2025, the city collected an average of 798 tons per day, which were all sent to the sanitary landfill.
“Expected gyud nga naay increase sa volume generation but in average naa gihapon ta sa 750 to 800 tons per day ug padulong ni tanan sa sanitary landfill,” Orcullo said at the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, September 4, 2025, held at the City Mayor’s Office (CMO).
(An increase in volume generation is expected, but on average, we’re still at 750 to 800 tons per day, and all of this goes to the sanitary landfill.)
Rising waste generation amid population growth
Cenro reported that as of May 2025, their office has an average collection of 737 tons. In 2024, they had an average collection of 753 tons; in 2023 at 746 tons, and 782 tons in 2022.
Davao City's daily waste collection has surged dramatically — from around 400 tons per day in 2010 to 700–800 tons per day in late 2024 and early 2025, reflecting growing urbanization and consumption levels.
The local government has allocated funds for the landfill expansion, Phase 1 with ₱340 million, including excavation, plastic liners, landfill base, and Phase 2 at ₱200 million, comprising road networks, perimeter fencing, totaling over ₱500 million to ensure the landfill's compliance with environmental standards.
In an earlier interview, Orcullo said that based on the report of the City Engineering Office (CEO) the first phase of P500 million Davao City’s new sanitary landfill in Barangay Carmen is now 55 percent complete.
Waste segregation and barangay-level facilities
Under RA 9003 and Davao City's own solid waste ordinances, barangays are required to establish Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs).
Orcullo revealed that their office is working to accommodate all the garbage that the city is generating at its old dump site through its two bulldozers that it is renting until the new dump site is finished.
Of the city’s 182 barangays, 53 have their Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
For barangays without space, 116 operate Material Recovery Stations (MRS) as alternative waste storage systems. Meanwhile, 47 barangays have composting facilities, and 96 have met the city’s standards for waste management compliance.
He said that their office is still having issues with the proper waste disposal of individuals and is continuing their efforts to strengthen their information and dissemination campaign to the public to raise concerns about proper waste disposal.
CENRO also reminded establishments — ranging from supermarkets to housing developments — that they must update their own solid waste management plans and obtain relevant certificates.
Enforcement and Fines
Cenro also emphasizes that the non-compliance of RA 9003 and Davao City's own solid waste ordinances can lead to fines or, in repeated cases, revocation of business permits.
Orcullo said that their office has cited tickets from January to August 2025, with most of these due to littering and the throwing of waste.
In previous report, Cenro said that it has collected over ₱5.2 million in fines from 8,140 environmental violations since 2022. Most infractions — including 3,784 cases of littering or dumping waste in public areas — are tied to violations of the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance.
Cenro has pursued legal action in 2,755 cases, with outcomes including convictions, dismissals, archived cases, and arrest warrants. RGP