Notices of violation issued vs Navotas landfill operator prior to fire

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Among violations that the Environmental Management Bureau flagged are non-compliance to daily soil cover and the number of required gas vent pipes

MANILA, Philippines – The former operator of the burning Navotas sanitary landfill had been slapped with notices of violation even before the fire incident, according to Janice Pammit of the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau.

According to Pammit, Phil Ecology Systems Corporation (Phileco) did not comply with the required daily soil cover, lacked gas vent pipes supposed to release methane gas, and delayed submission of their safe closure and rehabilitation plan.

“That’s why we issued the notice of violation even prior to the fire incident,” Pammit told reporters in a briefing on Thursday, April 30. Pammit did not specify the number of notices they had issued before the fire incident.

“Their submission of the safe closure [plan] was late, and the daily soil cover they needed to do, we also issued a notice of violation for that,” she added.

According to Pammit, her office issued two notices of violation again since the fire started on April 10.

These are violations of the conditions set in the company’s environmental clearance certificate.

The landfill only had 53 gas vent pipes out of the 110 specified in their environmental performance report and management plan, said Pammit.

Maria Delia Cristina Valdez, chief of the DENR’s solid waste management division, said that methane may be explosive if kept unreleased at certain concentrations.

“When it’s not released, it’s possible that there will be a fire,” said Valdez in the same briefing.

The DENR is coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General over the potential filing of a case against Phileco, which started operating the landfill in 2006.

Phileco’s franchise with the government over the landfill property ended in August 2025. A court-approved expropriation in 2023 turned over the property to San Miguel Aerocity Inc. for development related to the New Manila International Airport. The law prescribes a 15-year period for post-closure care.

Upon closure, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority ordered Manila to divert its trash to San Mateo, Rizal.

Unhealthy air quality had been recorded in parts of Metro Manila since the fire started on April 10. Health officials had warned nearby residents to stay indoors and wear masks. The Philippine Space Agency said on Wednesday, April 29, that in recent days, “nitrogen dioxide concentration in Metro Manila has fallen below 6 April (pre-fire) levels for two consecutive days.” The DENR also reported similar progress in air quality. – Rappler.com

Quotes translated to English for brevity.