NGO: Find, rescue landfill collapse survivors

THE Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR) called on government authorities Monday to exert more effort to find missing workers in a privately owned landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal.

In a statement, the CTUHR said such efforts are necessary as unconfirmed reports indicate more than 100 people were injured while 50 scavengers remain missing.

“It has been three long days since the landfill collapse and information about the tragedy remains scarce. Where is the National Government in all of this?" the CTUHR said.

"It should work overtime to rescue the scavengers buried in the trash and aid those who were injured,” the group said.

A portion of the landfill in Rizal collapsed Feb. 20, leaving one dead while two people remain missing.

The incident follows the Jan. 8 landfill collapse in the Cebu City Government jurisdiction, which left 36 workers dead and 18 others injured.

With two successive landfills collapsing, the labor non-government organization said such incidents are unacceptable. The group said the National Government must take action to ensure the incident does not recur.

“It is simply revolting that the National Government refuses to learn lessons from the landfill tragedies in the country’s history," the group said.

"The main lesson is this: prevention is better than cure. The government should vigilantly monitor and uphold labor and environmental standards in these landfills,” the CTUHR said. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)