CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (August 5, 2025) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau Region 10 (DENR-EMB X) has issued an Omnibus Cease and Desist Order against all poultry farm operators in the Municipality of Alubijid, Misamis Oriental, following a surge of complaints about massive fly infestations and foul odor affecting local communities.
The directive, signed by DENR-X Regional Director Reinaldo Amo, immediately suspends the Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) of all operating poultry projects in Alubijid and orders an immediate halt to all poultry-related operations, whether with or without proper environmental permits.
The order stems from a series of formal complaints filed from April 2024 to July 2025, by residents and community representatives of Barangays Taparak, Sampatulog, Lourdes, and Talaba. Complaints included reports of serious fly infestation, intense foul smells, and poor waste management attributed to at least 17 poultry farms in the area.
Among the complainants were Mr. Romeo Canaugan, Ms. Merelyn Dadang, Ms. Krizia Labadan, and Atty. Neil Pacamalan, the latter representing affected residents of the said barangays. Several anonymous complaints were also documented.
Inspections and monitoring by DENR-EMB revealed that while chickens and chicken dung were often already removed during site visits, the migrating swarms of flies were simply transferring from one poultry project to another due to the seasonal harvesting cycle, thus indicating systemic environmental management failures.
The DENR emphasized that the situation “cannot be attributed to a single poultry operation” but rather to collective non-compliance with environmental safeguards and poor housekeeping practices across all farms. The accumulation of improperly managed chicken manure, which serves as a breeding ground for flies, was cited as the primary cause of the infestation.
The order cites violations of Presidential Decree 1586, which established the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System, along with other related laws including RA 9275 (Clean Water Act) and RA 8749 (Clean Air Act).
Under the Revised Procedural Manual of DAO 30 (2003), the DENR is authorized to suspend ECCs and issue Cease and Desist Orders (CDOs) in cases where environmental violations present “grave or irreparable damage” to communities.
“This Office deems it proper to impose the appropriate sanctions on all the poultry projects in the said municipality for failure to observe proper housekeeping and failure to adopt efficient remedial and long-term measures,” the order states.
In addition to suspending operations, DENR-X also encouraged the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Alubijid under Mayor Emmanuel L. Jamis to suspend the business permits of the affected poultry projects to aid in enforcement.
To arrive at a long-term solution, the DENR-EMB 10 and the Alubijid LGU will jointly convene a technical conference with all concerned poultry operators at a date to be determined.
The Environmental Monitoring and Enforcement Division (EMED) has been directed to serve the order immediately.
The case marks one of the strongest regional crackdowns on livestock-related environmental violations in Northern Mindanao in recent years.