Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and controversial Porac Mayor Jaime "Jing" Capil should take the lead in protecting the residents of Porac against the looming environmental threat of garbage brought about by Eco Protect, according to a national environmental watchdog.
Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and the Environment prodded the two local officials to take decisive action against the controversial Eco Protect landfill in Porac, saying accountability cannot rest solely on national regulators.
Pinoy Aksyon President Bency Ellorin said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has already documented violations at the facility.
However, he stressed that the immediate responsibility to protect residents lies with the local government of Porac and the provincial government of Pampanga.
In a radio interview with DZRH, Ellorin noted that the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) issued Notices of Violation to Eco Protect Waste Management Corporation in November 2024 and again in July 2025 for noncompliance with the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and the Clean Water Act.
The landfill has also been flagged for handling hazardous hospital waste without proper safeguards.
Despite these findings, Ellorin pointed out that no concrete penalties have been imposed.
"November 7, 2024 noncompliance to PD (Presidential Decree) 1586 and RA (Republic Act) 9275… June 11 nag-conduct sila ng investigation at nag-issue ng notice of violation noong July 9," he said.
"But we are wondering, September 16 na ngayon wala pa ring resulta (They investigated in June and issued another violation in July, but it is now September and still there are no results)."
Ellorin said the delay highlights the urgency for local leaders to step in. He called on Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda and Porac Mayor Jing Capil to use their authority to suspend or cancel the landfill's permits.
"Responsibilidad ng LGU na proteksyunan ang mga mamamayan (It is the duty of the LGU to protect its residents)," he said, urging Capil to take stronger action. Then Governor Dennis Pineda suspended the hauling permits of garbage trucks from Bulacan after inspecting the landfill in June.
The inspection revealed unauthorized dumping and improperly labeled medical waste such as used dextrose bags, violations of RA 9003 and RA 6969. Pinoy Aksyon has also raised technical and environmental concerns about the site. It warned that the landfill sits on unstable lahar deposits left by the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption, making it prone to erosion and collapse during heavy rains or earthquakes.
The facility is also located close to the Pasig-Potrero River, raising fears that leachate could contaminate water sources and aquifers that feed farms and households in Pampanga towns.
Residents have reported daily problems with foul odors, dust clouds, and fears of contamination during the rainy season.
Ellorin said these realities underscore why decisive action is urgent. "Kung unstable yung Ecoprotect facility pwedeng mag-contaminate yung garbage at saka yung mga toxic materials sa Pasig-Potrero River at doon sa community mismo (If the facility is unstable, garbage and toxic materials could contaminate the Pasig-Potrero River and nearby communities)."
He warned that the problem links directly to flood control and public safety, especially during the typhoon season.
"Hindi dapat pakuya-kuyakoy lang yung gobyerno sa pag-address sa mga problemang ito (The government should not be slow in addressing these problems)," he said.
Ellorin emphasized that both the landfill operator and public officials must be held accountable. "So dapat dito, accountable mga officials dito, tapos mismo yung taga-operate ng Eco Protect, may accountability (Officials must be accountable, and so must the operator of Eco Protect)," he said.
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