Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000: Emphasis on Protection of Public Health and Environment

ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000
(R.A. 9003)

The law emphasizes solid waste avoidance and volume reduction through source

reduction and waste minimization measures, with the protection of public health and the

environment as the primary goal.

There are issues to be addressed here: (1.) lack of management system, (2.) lack of

public support for environmental concerns, (3.) lack of public awareness through information

and education.

Solid waste management whose importance is directly related to public health, resource

management and utilization, and maintaining a clean environment, is necessary in ensuring

human development. Solid waste management benefits the population in many ways.

Past efforts to promote waste segregation at source have failed despite the issuance of city

ordinances providing for sanctions and penalties for non-compliance. Some reasons that have

been cited for the non-compliance include: indifference of local residents to participate in

community waste management-related activities, local government collection services’ non-

allowance for segregated waste collection, residents’ attitude that government has the sole

responsibility over garbage management and lack of information and education campaigns. The

City Government admitted that they failed to focus on solid waste management concerns and

had difficulty enforcing the policy due to lack of budget and resources to educate the public on

the proper means of disposing garbage in accordance with Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological

Management Law.

To address this problem, I think education drive and a budget to teach residents about

segregation would be needed. But even if the public will educated, the next problem would be

sourcing the money to buy the trash cans and colored plastic needed for the dumping of the

segregated waste and it seems that with the worsening economic crisis and unemployment, it

is highly likely that the trash cans which would be provided for segregated garbage would be

stolen and sold. Barangay officials should campaign for the adoption of segregation among

households within their neighborhood. The "heart and soul" of RA 9003 is mobilizing barangay

officers and their constituents to make recovery facilities or areas for recycling household

waste.