By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After a month-long effort to put out the blaze at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill, which affected the air quality in nearby cities in Metro Manila and the adjacent province of Bulacan, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced late Sunday that the fire has been fully extinguished.
The fire that ravaged the dumpsite began on April 10, after methane gas buildup fueled by extreme heat created the right conditions for the heap of garbage to combust rapidly and spread across the area.
President Marcos Jr. acknowledged the tireless efforts of firefighters, LGU environmental teams, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Transportation (DOTr), and other concerned agencies, as well as private sector partners in putting out the landfill fire.
He likewise hailed the additional support and technical assistance provided by the Japanese government in the firefighting agenda.
While the fire has been contained, as evidenced by the thermal scan of the landfill showing the absence of any hot spots or regions with higher temperatures than the surrounding area, the President said that efforts are being made to safeguard the welfare of responders and residents living near the dumpsite.
The Chief Executive concluded, “Ngunit hindi dito nagtatapos ang ating trabaho. Inatasan ko na ang mga kinaukulang ahensya na ipagpatuloy ang 24/7 monitoring sa lugar kabilang ang air at water quality testing, thermal scanning upang matiyak na wala nang natitirang hotspots, at health monitoring para sa mga residenteng naapektuhan at sa ating mga responders.”
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