Solid waste management education ordinance ok’d

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Council has approved on third and final reading an ordinance mandating the annual appropriation of funds for the Basic Education Solid Waste Management Program in all Department of Education (DepEd) schools in the city.

Authored by Councilor Carlo Fortuna, the ordinance also provides guidelines for the implementation of the program, which seeks to integrate solid waste management education into the curriculum of public elementary and high schools.

Fortuna said the measure is anchored on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Mandaue City government and the DepEd Mandaue City Division, under which solid waste management concepts will be incorporated into classroom instruction.

He said the lessons will focus on the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, as well as other environmental practices, with the goal of instilling proper waste management habits among students at an early age.

To ensure the continuity of the program, Fortuna said the ordinance requires the city government to allocate at least P5 million annually for its implementation, noting that the initiative is a local policy and not part of the national curriculum.

The funding will cover educational materials and other resources needed by DepEd once solid waste management education is integrated into existing subjects.

Fortuna said the DepEd Mandaue City Division will determine which subjects will include the lessons.

“We are asking DepEd to make it a permanent subject for the curriculum,” Fortuna said.

He added that improving solid waste management requires changing the behavior and culture of communities through education.

“We have seen other countries for example if we go to Japan wa gyud kay makit-an nga basura dinha, because proper waste management has already been inculcated from childhood until adulthood,” Fortuna said.

According to the councilor, the program aims to teach students practical ways to minimize waste through reduction, reuse, and recycling, emphasizing that environmental responsibility begins with education.

The ordinance will initially cover public schools in Mandaue City, although private schools are encouraged to adopt similar programs.

Fortuna also expressed hope that DepEd would eventually consider implementing the initiative nationwide.

He added that while the ordinance guarantees a minimum annual allocation of P5 million, the city government may increase the funding if additional resources are needed for the program’s implementation. — (FREEMAN)