ILOILO – The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) recently approved the 10-year solid waste management plans of four more municipalities in this province – Bingawan, Dumangas, Leganes, and Oton.
The approval brought to 28 the total number of Iloilo towns with such plans, according to Mitzi Peñaflorida, senior environmental management specialist of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).
NSWMC issued its approval on Dec. 6 in Resolution No. 1177, Series of 2018.
Under Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, it is mandatory for local government units to have solid waste management plans.
Solid waste refers “to all discarded household, commercial waste, non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste.”
Solid waste management, on the other hand, refers to the discipline associated with the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to public attitudes.
The 23 other towns with approved solid waste management plans were Ajuy, Maasin, Mina, Igbaras, Miag-ao, Tubungan, New Lucena, Pavia, Santa Barbara, Zarraga, Badiangan, Calinog, Janiuay, Lambunao, Pototan, Banate, Dingle, Dueñas, Batad, San Rafael, Anilao, Concepcion, and San Dionisio, plus the component city of Passi.
RA 9003 prohibits local governments from operating open or controlled dumpsites and pushes for the establishment of sanitary landfills – waste disposal sites designed, constructed, operated and maintained in a manner that exerts engineering control over significant potential environment impacts arising from the development and operation of the facility.
The law also mandates local governments to, among others, establish materials recovery facilities, also known as ecology centers, in every barangay or cluster of barangays to promote waste prevention and reduction in the grassroots level.
A materials recovery facility includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility./PN
