The Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) has cited Eco Protect Waste Management Corporation for repeated environmental violations, fueling citizen calls for the landfill’s immediate closure.In a letter released to the public, EMB Region III Director Martin Jose V. Despi confirmed that Notices of Violation (NOV) were issued against Eco Protect in November 2024 and again on July 9, 2025.
The company was found non-compliant with Presidential Decree 1586 (Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System) and Republic Act 9275 (Philippine Clean Water Act).“The facility is not yet registered as a Treatment Storage and Disposal (TSD) Facility; thus, it is not allowed to receive any treated hazardous waste,” Despi wrote in a July 16 communication. Eco Protect was given 15 working days to respond, but DENR has yet to announce legal action despite the lapse of the compliance period.
The notices came alongside a petition filed by Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and the Environment, Inc., urging DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla to issue a cease-and-desist order against Eco Protect’s operations in Barangay Mancatian, Porac. The group raised concerns over the landfill’s construction on unstable lahar deposits from the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption and its proximity to the Pasig-Potrero River, which could be contaminated by leachate.
The petition also highlighted findings from Governor Dennis “Delta” Pineda, who in June suspended garbage-hauling permits from Bulacan after inspecting the site. His visit revealed unpermitted waste deliveries and improperly labeled medical waste, possibly violating RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) and RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act).
