De Castro closes Laguna dumpsite

Owners of an illegal dumpsite in Cabuyao, Laguna was served yesterday a closure order by Vice President Noli de Castro, concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, to protect the health of some 8,000 families.

Despite resistance from some 200 protesters, mostly workers of the Severino Hain Enterprises Inc., which owns and operates the dumpsite, De Castro personally handed over the cease-and-desist order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the owners of the illegal facility.

With the order, De Castro said the dumpsite’s operations are terminated.

"This means that starting immediately after I handed the closure order, no dump trucks would be allowed to enter this facility," he told the owners.

The owners attempted to justify the confined operation of the dumpsite, but De Castro stood firm on the DENR order dated Sept. 6.

"It is very clear from the order that the illegal dumpsite has made a lot of violations and is severely affecting the health and life of the relocates. This facility has to be closed now," De Castro said.

He instructed Senior Superintendent Luisito de Leon, Laguna police director, to make sure that the dumpsite remains closed.

The dumpsite, allegedly being used for mixed wastes, poses health hazards to residents of the adjacent Southville, the government’s resettlement area for railway families from Manila, Makati, and Cabuyao. — With Pia Lee-Brago, Ed Amoroso