30% of Central Visayas LGUs follow waste management law

CEBU, Philippines - Of the 107 cities and municipalities in Central Visayas, only 30 percent have completed the necessary measures they are required to comply with under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

This was announced yesterday morning based on the results of the recent monitoring of the Environmental and Management Bureau-7, an attached bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

He said that even after 15 years since the law has been enacted, there are still some LGUs who fail to conform to the necessary criteria stipulated by the law, while others are still in the process of complying with the criteria.

Silveron, who heads the bureau’s Solid Waste Management Section, was one of yesterday’s panelists of the weekly forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency-7 in collaboration with the Association of Government Information Officers.

He said the bureau has plotted at least four criteria to determine compliance: (1) establishing proper disposal site; (2) implementing segregation at source; (3) operating the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF); and (4) crafting a 10-year solid waste management plan.

Silveron said that by following the given standards, this will only benefit their constituents safeguarding their health and protecting the environment or natural resources.

Regarding the first criteria, an estimated 87 percent of LGUs in the region have established proper disposal sites, said Silveron, while the rest have been asked to stop operating dumping sites that violate environmental safety codes, and rather look for alternatives on how to properly manage solid waste disposal.

These LGUs were asked to look for alternative means to manage solid waste disposal have been required to provide safe closure plans and rehabilitation schemes for the closed dumping sites.

Of the second criteria, garbage segregation, Silveron admits that this has been very challenging for LGUs to enforce.

Segregating and collecting solid wastes, particularly for biodegradable, compostable and reusable wastes, should be done at the barangay level while non-recyclable materials and special wastes is tasked to the municipality or city.

For the third criterion, only a few barangays have established and are operating their own MRF facilities.

The MRF is a specialized plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers.

One problem encountered in the implementation of this criterion is the proper handling of the MRF facility.

The last criterion is stipulated under Section 16 of RA 9003, which states that “the province, city or municipality, through its local solid waste management boards, should prepare its respective 10-year solid waste management plans consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework.”

Silveron reported that only 70 percent of LGUs had been able to submit their plan to the agency.

Silverion adds that present goal of EMB-7 is to assist and guide LGUs to follow with the necessary measures stipulated under the law.

He said the legislative bodies of LGUs may also craft ordinances or policies that will back up the existing national laws addressing local concerns.

While LGU’s are mandated to enforce the law, he said the responsibility of keeping surroundings clean and garbage properly-managed should also be shared by households and private establishments. (FREEMAN)