Extinguishing Navotas fire a priority, accountability to follow — LGU

The fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill continues to blaze, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Navotas local government unit (LGU) leading efforts to extinguish it since Friday, 10 April.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon described the fire as “not normal,” stressing the need for immediate action to ensure public safety.

“Kasi nga yung sunog, hindi normal na sunog to e, ang nasusunog dito hindi naman yung basura, ang nasusunog dito yung gas, yung methane na nasa ilalim. Kailangan natin i-address yun (Because this fire is not an ordinary fire. What is burning here is not just garbage, but the gas—methane, trapped underneath. We need to address that)," he said.

In a social media post on 18 April, the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) of Bataan said air quality in some areas may affect sensitive groups, including the elderly, children, and people with heart and lung conditions.

Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco said the immediate priority is to put out the fire, while also stressing the need for accountability.

“Kailangan talaga may managot. Part ng Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) nila, ng lisensya, permit na binigay ng DENR ay kasama, kahit natapos yung operation. Kailangan hindi mo basta iwanan yan, kailangan safe siya, at yun yung hindi po nangyari (Someone really has to be held accountable. Part of their Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), as well as the licenses and permits issued by the DENR, requires that even after operations have ended, the site must not simply be abandoned—it must be kept safe. And that is what did not happen),” Tiangco said.

San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI), the current land operator, responded to statements from former landfill owner Phil Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), which said it had warned the court, the Navotas City government, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) about risks related to the construction of a cloverleaf interchange over the landfill, including possible fire hazards and methane or leachate leaks.

SMAI said it acquired the property through a court-approved expropriation in 2023 but only entered the area in February 2026 to allow a proper transition, given the landfill’s role in Metro Manila’s waste disposal system.

In an official statement, SMAI also said the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) holds PhilEco responsible for fulfilling its obligations under the ECC and Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, including the implementation of a Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan approved by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau.

On Thursday, 16 April, the DENR met with SMAI, PhilEco, and the LGU to discuss the issue. The DENR Public Information Division said to DAILY TRIBUNE it will release a statement once the investigation is completed.