Burn Not Dumaguete

19/08/2025

Say No to bottled water! Ban Single Use Plastics

06/08/2025

17/07/2025

Newly elected Mayor Chiquiting Sagarbarria of Dumaguete City, Philippines, confirmed that the city’s Central Materials Recovery Facility (CMRF), which hosts a pyrolysis incinerator, may be shut down due to seven serious violations of its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). These include illegal dumping, unpermitted expansion, and the absence of required permits for wastewater discharge and hazardous waste handling, as flagged by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – EMB Region VII.

This development contradicts the city’s previous recognition as “Best in Resource Recovery in CMRF” in Central Visayas for best practices on solid waste management implementation. But for local advocates, the risks were clear from the start.

War On Waste - Break Free From Plastic Negros Oriental, a member of GAIA, actively opposed the pyrolysis project before it began operating. With the help of volunteers and technical support from GAIA, WOW led a community-based air quality study that revealed troubling findings:

Results from the study show:
-PM2.5 pollution exceeded safe levels 88% of the time
-Air quality in nearby areas was up to 7 times worse than the WHO guidelines
-Up to 179 premature deaths annually could be prevented if the facility is shut down

Despite legal requirements under the Clean Air Act (RA 8749), the Dumaguete City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) has not released any emissions data from the pyrolysis incinerator.

Waste burning is not only a policy violation. It is a public health threat.

Read the full news report:
https://metropost-online.com/city-mrf-violated-ecc-on-7-counts/

Learn more from the GAIA-supported study led by WOW Negros Oriental:
https://www.no-burn.org/clearingtheair/

16/07/2025

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2082656/clearing-the-air-ordinary-citizens-uncover-toxic-truths-near-waste-incinerators?fbclid=IwY2xjawLj_lpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSNlZ2cW5VQjB2MEtPcU5GAR6UvS1qilfrlhou2EbFKlFS0DF8x1CGN1-o3xvMaQnYIdEvM4F28eVIF6NFLw_aem_kp5hRjNvyfEYRwAziR6_Pg

MANILA, Philippines—A group of ordinary citizens in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental spent weeks carrying palm-sized devices, quietly gathering evidence of something they could already see

13/07/2025

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2081446/dumaguetenos-seeking-action-vs-dirty-air

DUMAGUETE CITY, NEGROS ORIENTAL, Philippines — Could residents of Dumaguete, touted as the safest city in the country by the World Travel Index, be breathing polluted air? A group of

30/06/2025

🚨Is the Dumaguete Air Safe to Breathe?

Tomorrow, July 1 (Tuesday) at 10 AM, join War on Waste Negros Oriental, GAIA, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission at Bethel Guesthouse for a press conference unveiling the results of a critical air quality study conducted in communities surrounding the Pyrolysis Incinerator in Dumaguete City.

This event will expose key findings about the health and environmental risks tied to waste incineration.

Media groups—print, broadcast, and digital platforms—are invited. The general public is also welcome. Your voice and presence matter in this growing call for clean air and environmental justice.

🗓 July 1, 10:00 AM
📍 Bethel Guesthouse, Dumaguete City

18/05/2025

🔥 Is Waste-to-Energy (WtE) incineration really a clean solution for cities?
WTE incineration is often promoted as a quick fix for plastic waste and emissions, but what are the real costs, and who truly benefits?

Too often, city leaders and communities are left out of the conversation.
In the lead-up to the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2025, join GAIA Asia Pacific and (Ocean Conservancy + The Circular Initiative + Resilient Cities Network) for a powerful 2-panel discussion with an exceptional lineup of experts to unpack the real impacts of incineration and spotlight community-driven solutions that work for cities, not against them.

👉 Register now: https://bit.ly/woc-wte