ILOILO – The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) recently approved the 10-year solid waste management (SWM) plans of 10 more municipalities in this province.
According to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) senior environmental management specialist Mitzi Peñaflorida, the local government units (LGUs) with approved SWM plans include Leon; Alimodian; San Miguel; Cabatuan; San Enrique; Barotac Nuevo; Balasan; Estancia and Barotac Viejo.
NSWMC issued its approval on the last quarter of 2019.
The approved SWM plans include strategies on residual, recyclable, biodegradable and special wastes such as the strict implementation of the “no segregation, no collection” policy, recycling of single-use plastics, and composting and construction of vault for health care wastes. Municipal ordinances in support of these strategies were also identified.
Peñaflorida said that 38 out of 43 LGUs in the province have already got their solid waste management plans approved. Five remaining LGUs meanwhile have yet to secure an approved SWM plans, which include the towns of San Joaquin; Guimbal; Sara; Lemery; and Carles .
According to Peñaflorida, some of the remaining LGUs were not able to immediately craft with their solid waste management plan that did not go through review and critiquing.
She is hoping the remaining five LGUs will get their approved 10-year solid waste management plans.
“Ang 10-year plan daw bible ni sia sang aton municipalities kon paano i–implementar ang solid waste management program kay dira nakasaad ang 10-year solid waste management plans especially ang waste generation sang ila municipality,” said Peñaflorida.
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.
RA 9003 prohibits local governments from operating open or controlled dumpsites and mandates them 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 material recovery facility includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility./PN
