Quezon City — Environmental group Greenpeace Philippines has raised alarm over a fire at the closed Navotas Sanitary Landfill, warning that the incident reflects a growing pattern of waste-related disasters in the country and exposes persistent risks even after landfill closure.
The blaze began on April 10 at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Tanza. The facility ceased operations in August 2025 following expropriation issues, with waste previously disposed there redirected to the New San Mateo Sanitary Landfill in Rizal, shifting disposal pressure rather than resolving underlying waste generation concerns.
Satellite data showed that at least 28.6 hectares of the inactive landfill were affected by the fire within days. Authorities later declared the fire under control, although smoldering areas and smoke emissions continued to challenge response efforts and affect nearby communities. Reports indicated that smoke spread across parts of Metro Manila, contributing to deteriorating air quality and prompting public health concerns in affected areas.
In response to the prolonged impact, a Japan Disaster Relief expert team was deployed to the Philippines to assist in firefighting operations, air quality monitoring, and environmental mitigation efforts.
Civil society organizations have also called for accountability. Advocacy group BAN Toxics has urged a formal investigation into the Navotas landfill fire and similar incidents, citing systemic gaps in waste management enforcement. Marine conservation group Oceana warned that pollutants from the site, including leachate and airborne contaminants, may threaten nearby coastal waters, fisheries, and aquatic ecosystems.
Reacting to the incident, Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma said the fire marks the third landfill-related disaster recorded this year and reflects deeper structural problems in the country’s waste management system.
She stressed that reliance on disposal methods such as landfills and burn facilities fails to address the root causes of waste generation and continues to expose surrounding communities to environmental and health risks.
Greenpeace warned that landfill fires release toxic substances including dioxins and furans, which are classified as persistent organic pollutants. The World Health Organization identifies dioxins as highly toxic compounds linked to cancer, immune system damage, and long-term health effects even at low levels of exposure.
Environmental risks are particularly severe in Navotas, where the landfill is located near fishing grounds, aquaculture zones, and densely populated communities. Greenpeace warned that contamination from the fire could threaten marine ecosystems, disrupt food production, and affect the livelihoods and health of coastal residents.
Scientific studies on dioxin behavior in aquatic environments show that these pollutants can enter water systems through atmospheric deposition and runoff. Once present, they can persist in sediments, accumulate in marine organisms, and move through the food chain, increasing long-term exposure risks for communities dependent on fisheries and coastal resources.
Greenpeace also pointed to policy gaps under the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which mandates waste reduction and segregation at source but suffers from weak enforcement. The group likewise cited limitations in the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, noting that continued production of single-use plastics contributes significantly to rising waste volumes.
Plastic waste, which accounts for an estimated 12 to 24 percent of the country’s waste stream, is largely derived from fossil fuels, linking waste generation to broader economic vulnerabilities amid global fluctuations in energy and commodity prices.
Greenpeace called on the government to strengthen waste reduction at source, enforce strict segregation, and expand reuse systems through a national framework supporting transition away from disposable packaging.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
