THE CALL for proper waste management amid the spike in dengue cases raises one crucial question: Do local governments have the political will to vigorously enforce Republic Act (RA) 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) for a cleaner, healthier and safer environment?
There must be a heightened enforcement of the country’s waste prevention and reduction law. Can the chief executives of 1,715 provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide demonstrate resolve to implement solid waste management?
We call upon all our newly elected or reelected local leaders to make the effective enforcement of RA 9003 a centerpiece of their environmental governance for the next three years. The enforcement of this law is a key component of any effort to build and support zero waste, healthy, toxic-free and disaster resilient communities.
Enforcing waste prevention and reduction
measures will help avoid garbage from piling up in streets, the spread of
dengue as well as in averting flashfloods caused by plastic-choked
waterways. It will also help in creating recycling-based industries
and social enterprises that can provide livelihood to Filipino families.
As stated in the law, RA 9003 aims
to “ensure the protection of the public health and environment.” It further
seeks to “ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage,
treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of
the best environmental practice in ecological waste management excluding
incineration.”
In the next few weeks, we expect local authorities to convene their newly reconstituted solid waste management committees. The assumption to office of our new local leaders provides an excellent opportunity to review and strengthen solid waste management programs and to establish more ambitious goals and targets toward preventing and reducing waste generation.
We need to cut the volume of what we throw out as our dumpsites are already bursting at the seams. We need to ensure as well that what we dispose of are safely managed so as not to pose harm to our families, neighbors, waste workers, and our fragile ecosystem as a whole.
