ILOILO – All 43 local government units (LGUs) in the province have approved 10-year solid waste management plans.
The last three towns – Guimbal, San Joaquin and Sara – had their plans approved by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) in Metro Manila in April.
“One hundred percent na ang aton municipalities nga nakapa-approve sang 10-year solid waste management plans,” said senior environmental management specialist Mitzi Peñaflorida of the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO).
Now, she said, “May ‘bible’ na ang kada banwa, may guide na sila sa implementation sang ila solid waste.”
The Commission on Audit and PGENRO regularly conduct monitoring, and Preñaflorida said LGUs have been implementing their plans.
“We constantly remind them nga dapat ang ila program and activities naka-align gid kay basi abi sang iban papel lang na,” said Peñaflorida.
The solid waste management plans of LGUs are mandatory under Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The approved SWM plans include strategies for residual, recyclable, biodegradable, and special wastes, such as the strict implementation of the “no segregation, no collection” policy, recycling of single-use plastics, composting, and the construction of a vault for healthcare wastes.
RA 9003 prohibits local governments from operating open or controlled dumpsites. It mandates them, among others, to establish materials recovery facilities, also known as ecology centers, in every barangay or cluster of barangays to promote waste prevention and reduction at the grassroots level.
A materials recovery facility includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, a drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility./PN
