DAVAO CITY, Philippines – One person died while two elderly residents remained missing after a portion of waste materials near the sanitary landfill in Barangay New Carmen, Tugbok District collapsed on Wednesday, May 20.
The incident happened around 1:15 p.m. in Purok 8, Barangay New Carmen after days of heavy rainfall that happened two days earlier.
Initial reports from barangay officials showed that at least 123 homeowners, one renter household, six sharers, and their dependents were displaced and have evacuated to the barangay gym beside the barangay hall in Purok 3.
Authorities recorded one fatality, two injured individuals, and two missing senior citizens.
Rescue teams continued retrieval operations for the missing residents as of this writing.
(https://davaotoday.com/headline/davao-floods-left-one-dead-areas-without-electricity/)
The incident renewed concerns over Davao City’s worsening waste management problem as the New Carmen sanitary landfill has long been reported to be operating beyond capacity.
Environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) said the incident highlighted the increasing volume of waste disposed of in landfills and the need for stronger waste reduction, segregation, recycling, composting, and responsible disposal systems.
The group also pointed to the conditions faced by informal waste workers who rely on landfill sites for livelihood.
“Waste pickers and other informal workers play a significant role in waste recovery and recycling. However, many continue to work under unsafe and vulnerable conditions,” the group said.
It added that informal waste workers should be given safer workplaces, recognition, social protection, and livelihood support.
Waste management has long been a concern among environmental groups, who have warned that weak waste segregation and dependence on landfill disposal continue to strain the city’s garbage system.
The city government is currently fast-tracking the construction of a new nine-hectare sanitary landfill beside the existing site.
(https://davaotoday.com/headline/lack-of-waste-segregation-in-davao-worsens-landfill-problem/)
(https://davaotoday.com/headline/green-approaches-pushed-to-address-davaos-garbage-disposal/). (davaotoday.com)
