ILOILO – Seven towns in this province do not yet have 10-year solid waste management plans, according to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO).
These are the municipalities of San Joaquin, Guimbal, San Miguel, Balasan, Sara, Carles, and Estancia.
“Right now there are already 36 ka mga municipalities sa province ang nakapa-approve sang ila nga 10-year solid waste management plan,” said PENRO senior environmental management specialist Mitzi Peñaflorida.
“Ready na tani last year ang seven LGUs for final deliberation sang ila 10-year plan sa NSWMC (National Solid Waste Management Commission) in Metro Manila,” she said. “But it was held back due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
Peñaflorida is hoping that the seven local government units (LGUs) will make it this year.
Republic Act (RA) 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, made it mandatory for LGUs to have solid waste management plans.
The approved solid waste management 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.
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, a drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility./PN
