THE City Government of Davao confirmed the temporary suspension of the utilization of the Barangay New Carmen Sanitary Landfill effective May 22, following the mass-wasting that occurred on May 20, 2026.
Harvey Lanticse, head of the City Information Office, said they filed a motion for reconsideration on May 26 with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region (DENR-Davao), citing the results of geotechnical assessments conducted in the area and the recommended corrective measures for the landfill.
“The city will utilize its new landfill facility adjacent to the existing site in Barangay New Carmen,” he said in a statement on May 26.
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) will continue garbage collection as scheduled, but reminds the public to segregate their waste to help reduce the volume of waste dumped in the landfill.
Earlier, DENR-Davao announced that waste disposal at the Davao City Sanitary Landfill is “suspended.”
Atty. Maria Mercedes V. Dumagan, regional director of DENR-Davao, said the suspension of the sanitary landfill’s operations is to make way for the local government to implement stabilization measures and other recommendations under Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the conditions of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Dumagan encouraged the public to place their trust in the plans of the local government and follow the directives to ensure public safety.
“We strongly encourage all Dabawenyos to practice waste segregation at home and adopt proper waste management to reduce the volume of garbage collected by our LGU. This simple effort will be a big help and will significantly ease our waste collection challenges,” she said on May 25, 2026.
Earlier, DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said that once the operations of the landfill are suspended, they will not resume until the site is declared safe. He said this moment calls for collaboration since the department is committed to ensuring that Davao City’s waste facility remains safe, compliant, and resilient.
Cuna said the incident at the Davao Sanitary Landfill shows the immediate need to complete the proper measures, adding that every life lost because of the mass-wasting is “unacceptable.”
“The DENR and the LGU have been working together on the technical and regulatory requirements for months. This incident reinforces the need to accelerate slope stabilization and the safe closure plan,” the secretary said on May 21, 2026.
Earlier, a mass-wasting occurred around 1:10 p.m. of May 20 at the Davao Sanitary Landfill in Barangay New Carmen. Rescue teams were deployed to look for those who had been buried alive by the trash slide.
After the incident, the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) declared the area unsafe for full entry, which halted disposal operations and perimeter control while technical teams evaluated the extent of the waste movement.
DENR said inspection records show that the landfill has been under close monitoring since January. The Environmental Management Bureau-Davao Region (EMB-Davao) conducted technical meetings with the local government on January 20 and March 4 and issued a Notice of Violation on March 19 for operating without a discharge permit, failing to meet standards, and maintaining an inadequate leachate treatment system.
A technical conference on April 29 resulted in the city committing to the penalties and the submission of a pollution control program.
Inspections in the area showed steep slopes, a collapsed leachate pond, and the presence of informal waste pickers and makeshift dwellings on the perimeter of the landfill. DENR, with these findings, recommended slope stabilization, partial closure of some sections, and the relocation of homes along the 200-meter buffer zone.
The incident at the sanitary landfill claimed one life, injured two people, and left two others still missing.
Initial investigations revealed that the mass wasting was due to water buildup underneath the landfill after heavy rains. This water buildup resulted in the collapse of a portion of the garbage mound that buried some houses. Around 123 homeowners, six sharers, 374 dependents, one renter, and one boarder were evacuated to the gymnasium beside the Barangay Hall in Purok 3, New Carmen.
On average, the landfill receives about 786 tons of waste per day and is already nearing full capacity. The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) reported that as of May 2025, the office had an average daily collection of 737 tons. In 2024, the average collection was 753 tons; in 2023, 746 tons; and 782 tons in 2022.
As a solution to the city’s garbage situation, the local government allocated funds for the expansion of the landfill adjacent to the current site, with construction already at 52 percent. RGP
