NAVOTAS — The still-smoking closed Navotas landfill, which continues to discharge polluted air, has welcomed help from the Japanese government in addressing an 18-day fire.

The move came after a joint inspection by Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tianco, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuyo Endo, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna.

The inspection reached the areas still burning, producing thick smoke, as Japanese experts began assessing the situation.

Tianco said 44 hectares of the landfill were divided into smaller sections where workers will pour soil to cover the affected areas.

Dizon briefed the Japanese experts that some parts had already been buried with soil, halting smoke emissions, but other areas were still actively burning beneath the surface, with assorted garbage materials in combustion.

It will be recalled that trucks had easy passage along the road leading to the port, where barges carrying soil were unloaded, even during high tide, as many DPWH heavy equipment units were deployed to work on the landfill.

According to Dizon, work is being done gradually, with some areas already extinguished while other sections are still undergoing operations.

He added that with the help of Japanese experts, the work is expected to accelerate, as national and local government units continue to work together to stop the emission of toxic smoke, which has already affected large portions of Metro Manila.

In a separate inspection, DPWH Secretary Dizon visited the abandoned Taguig Justice Hall Tuesday morning.

It was found that the building was only completed on the exterior, with the interior still unfinished. The project’s former contractor, Discaya, had been implicated in several questionable projects, which led to the work being halted.

Dizon said the project will continue as part of the government’s effort to complete unfinished buildings, but clarified that it will not be demolished.

“Definitely it will be finished and he hope to complete it by 2027, but things will pass the process like new bidding, new design, new cost estimate before it will continue as per instruction of President Marcos to continue unfinished projects,” Dizon said.