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Province of Rizal, et al. vs. Executive Secretary, et al.

PROVINCE OF RIZAL, MUNICIPALITY OF SAN MATEO, PINTONG BOCAUE MULTIPURPOSE COOPERATIVE, CONCERNED CITIZENS OF RIZAL, INC., ROLANDO E. VILLACORTE, BERNARDO HIDALGO, ANANIAS EBUENGA, VILMA T. MONTAJES, FEDERICO MUNAR, JR., ROLANDO BENAS, SR., ET AL., and KILOSBAYAN, INC., Petitioners, versus EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, SECRETARY OF ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES, LAGUNA LAKE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, SECRETARY OF PUBLIC WORKS & HIGHWAYS, SECRETARY OF BUDGET & MANAGEMENT, METRO MANILA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY and THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS, Respondents.

G.R. No. 129546 | 2005-12-13

D E C I S I O N 
 
CHICO-NAZARIO, J.: 
 
The earth belongs in usufruct to the living.[1] 
 
At the height of the garbage crisis plaguing Metro Manila and its environs, parts of the Marikina Watershed Reservation were set aside by the Office of the President, through Proclamation No. 635 dated 28 August 1995, for use as a sanitary landfill and similar waste disposal applications. In fact, this site, extending to more or less 18 hectares, had already been in operation since 19 February 1990[2] for the solid wastes of Quezon City, Marikina, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pateros, Pasig, and Taguig.[3] 
 
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