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Andrew Ronquillo - The Philippine Star
May 7, 2026 | 12:00am
This aerial photograph shows smoke billowing from a burning landfill near Navotas City, in Obando town, Bulacan province, on April 30, 2026.
AFP / Ted Aljibe
MANILA, Philippines — After almost a month of firefighting, the Navotas sanitary landfill blaze will be extinguished by May 11, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
“Our personnel there said it would take around four to five more days before we can put out the fire, especially now that the supply of soil (for fire suppression) has increased,” DPWH Undersecretary Charles Calima Jr. said yesterday.
Around 30 to 40 percent of the 44-hectare landfill has been covered with soil to suppress the fire that started on April 10, authorities said.
About 79.6 percent of the blaze has been contained, Navotas Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Vonne Villanueva said.
Despite the containment, wind direction and underground heat pockets may regress efforts, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco said.
Around 200 tons of soil is being targeted to cover the whole site, he said.
Charges will be filed against Phil Ecology Systems Corp. for abandoning the landfill’s safe closure and rehabilitation plan, Tiangco stressed.
“Their responsibility for the Environmental Compliance Certificate is not transferable,” Tiangco said, citing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ denial of PhilEco’s notice of withdrawal.
Authorities said it would take up to three years to fully rehabilitate the landfill.
