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Sunday, January 29, 2017
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IN 2013, the Office of the Ombudsman, through its Environmental Ombudsman, led the launch of the “Solid Waste Management Law Voluntary Compliance Program.” Phase 1 of the program was the conduct of local government units’ (LGUs) self-assessment based on their compliance with the provisions of Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or ESWM).
Now, the Environmental Ombudsman is in its Phase 2 of the program, the filing of cases against non-compliant LGUs, particularly those that still operate open dumpsites, have not built materials recovery facilities (MRFs), do not implement segregation at source, and have not submitted a 10-year Solid Waste Management Plan.
The grace period has long been overdue. It is time that those who have failed to comply with the law face the legal consequences.
But as the Ombudsman proceeds with its legal action against erring LGUs, everyone is encouraged, every citizen, every household to do their respective share in implementing the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law. The heart of the ESWM Law is its inherent purpose towards a paradigm shift, a change to a zero waste lifestyle. That is why segregation at source is among the main facets of the law because implementation must start in our own homes.
The ESWM Law and the multitude of environmental laws we have—Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Renewable Energy Law, Climate Change Act, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Law, People’s Survival Fund Law, among others—are instruments in ensuring that we are going towards sustainable and resilient development.
We are in the midst of a global crisis caused by climate change. The greenhouse gases that have become trapped in our atmosphere have caused the rapid rise of the Earth’s temperature and it is affecting our lives and our future as we experience extreme weather events, loss of biodiversity, food instability, among other impacts.
We need to translate our laws and policies into urgent action. As individuals, we must concretize our participation in climate action and make it part of our daily living. The aggregate of these efforts will considerably mitigate climate change. Learning how to manage local resources will eventually lead to the sustainability of our country. The objective is to help the world manage its ecological assets more judiciously so that humanity can live within the Earth’s limitations.
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