The month-long fire at the Navotas Landfill, which previously threatened public health with toxic emissions, has been successfully extinguished through a massive collaborative effort between the government and the private sector, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
During a recent inspection of the site, Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez hailed the success as a prime example of a “whole-of-government approach,” noting that coordination between national and local units made the solution possible.
The inspection team included key officials such as DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna, Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III, and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman Ramon Ang.
To further expedite the firefighting efforts, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) sent soil and debris from the ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project to cover the burning landfill and prevent the decline in air quality in Metro Manila.
Lopez also cited the great help from the private sector, including the SMC, to quickly extinguish the fire.
“The government alone cannot do this, without the help of the private sector. If you notice the SMC and Mr. [Ramon] Ang, he really did all the volunteerism and initiatives for this. As our President said, if we work together, we can fix this problem,” Lopez said.
DPWH Secretary Dizon agrees. “The President said that everyone helped each other, so that we could quickly put out this huge fire that happened. And you can see it now, it’s clear, there’s no smoke. Before, we couldn’t see Obando, now we can see Valenzuela. That’s why we’re all grateful. On behalf of the President, we just want to thank everybody,” Dizon said.
The DENR will continue to monitor the condition of the landfill and the air quality in the area to ensure that residents in Navotas and nearby areas are safe so that they can return to their normal lives.
“We’ll continue to monitor the landfill because the rehabilitation needs to be continued. And the air quality we’ll continue to monitor. For the last week, the readings have been good until Obando,” Cuna said.
Ambassador Endo Kazuya said that Japan’s sending of the technical and relief team is proof of the strong friendship between the Philippines and Japan, especially when it comes to projects that will improve the lives of Filipinos.
“I am very happy to hear that the technical assistance provided by Japan—the relief team and experts have been very useful. We are with you. Japan hopes to remain a valuable partner to stand by the Philippines,” said Ambassador Endo Kazuya.
The private sector is also fully supporting by providing free diesel, free 5,000 tons of bunkering per barge, and heavy equipment for immediate firefighting.
“We all helped each other to solve this problem because it is a serious calamity, right? You noticed how quickly the problem was solved because we all helped each other,” said SMC chairman Ramon Ang.
