SMAI supports fire response, clarifies role in Navotas landfill

Photo courtesy fro John Rey Tiangco FB page

San Miguel Aerocity Inc. (SMAI) said it is supporting efforts to respond to the fire at the Navotas Sanitary Landfill Facility (NSLF) by deploying heavy equipment, barges, and tankers in coordination with local authorities and other relevant government agencies.

The company clarified, however, that it does not operate or manage the landfill. Although it acquired the property through a court-approved expropriation in 2023, SMAI said it entered the area only in February 2026 to allow for a proper transition, considering the landfill’s role in Metro Manila’s waste disposal system.

Until then, Phil Ecology Systems Corp. (PhilEco), the landfill’s operator under a concession agreement with the Navotas City Government, continued operating the facility until the agreement expired in August 2025.

PhilEco also continued to occupy the area afterward, but did not implement the landfill’s safe closure and rehabilitation plan.

The Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the NSLF makes clear that PhilEco remains responsible for complying with its obligations under the ECC and Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, including the implementation of the Safe Closure and Rehabilitation Plan approved by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau.

Amid the ongoing situation, SMAI said it remains focused on helping contain the fire, protect public safety, and work with relevant government agencies to address the incident as quickly and safely as possible.