Payatas landslide

The Payatas landslide was a garbage dump collapse at Payatas, Quezon City, Philippines, on July 10, 2000. A large pile of garbage first collapsed and then went up in flames which resulted in the destruction of about 100 squatters' houses.

Payatas landslide
DateJuly 10, 2000 (2000-07-10)
VenuePayatas dumpsite
LocationQuezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
TypeLandslide
CauseSlope of accumulated garbage
OutcomeBan of open ground dumpsites in the Philippines. Closure of the Payatas dumpsite in 2010.
Deaths218

218 people were killed, according to official data, and caused 300 missing persons. Other sources, however, suggest that 705 people were killed in Payatas (Westfall, 2001) and many first-hand accounts note the number is far greater than the official figure, perhaps closer to 1,000.[1]

The dumping ground was immediately closed following the incident by then President-Joseph Estrada but was reopened weeks later by then-Quezon City Mayor Ismael Mathay Jr. to avert an epidemic in the city due to uncollected garbage caused by the closure.[2]

The landslide prompted the passage of Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,[3] which mandates the closure of open dumpsites in the Philippines by 2004 and controlled dumpsites by 2006.[4]

In 2004, the Payatas dumpsite was reconfigured as a controlled disposal facility.[3] but was closed in December 2010.[5] A separate landfill with a stricter waste management policy was established near the old open dumpsite[6] in January 2011.[5] The newer dumpsite closed in December 2017.[4]

See also

  • Bangkang papel boys survivors of the tragedy, who attempted to get the attention of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

References

  1. (Habitat), United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (2001). Cities in a globalizing world (1. publ. in the UK and USA. ed.). London [u.a.]: Earthscan. p. xxvi. ISBN 1853838063.
  2. Sison, Bebor Jr.; Felipe, Cecilia Suerte (10 July 2001). "Payatas tragedy: One year after". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. Peña, Rox (24 August 2017). "Payatas landfill is permanently closed". Sun Star. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. Roxas, Pathricia Ann (August 6, 2017). "Environmentalists hail closure of Payatas dumpsite". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  5. "Quezon City Local Government - Background (Domestic Solid Waste)". Quezon City Official Website. Quezon City Government. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. Ranada, Pia (6 March 2014). "Time ticking for Payatas landfill". Rappler. Retrieved 23 September 2019.

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