research paper about improper waste disposal in barangay

An action research on improving waste management system to address improper waste disposal in Barangay 786, San Andres Bukid, Manila

The purpose of this paper is to review the waste management process that are currently being used in the area of municipal waste management focusing on Barangay 786 and to highlight some shortcomings of these models. In this study I aim to do an action research on improper waste management. Improper...

Full description

• Description

Similar Items

• A comparative analysis of commercially supplied water (MWSS) and deep well water within the vicinity of Makati City and San Andres Bukid, Manila by: Salido, Leah C., et al. Published: (1999)
• Research of nuclear waste disposal by: Chue, Wai Mun. Published: (2013)
• WASTE DISPOSAL IN SINGAPORE by: NOREEN CHANG WEI YI Published: (2020)
• Fish waste as a resource: An approach to lessen the impact of improper solid waste management in the Philippines by: De Ungria, Sheralyn, T., et al. Published: (2021)

Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer.

To browse Academia.edu and the wider internet faster and more securely, please take a few seconds to  upgrade your browser .

Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link.

• We're Hiring!
• Help Center

Improper Waste Disposal: Effects of Public Health and Environmental Safety - A Case Study

The generation of hazardous waste is a necessary side effect of modern industrial production. Factories must cope daily with large accumulations of unrecyclable chemical byproducts generated by normal production techniques. Until recently, industrial hazardous waste was not legally distinguished from municipal garbage and other solid wastes. It was disposed of with ordinary garbage, at very low cost to the generator, mostly in coastal waters or in landfills unfit to adequately contain it. Modern methods of disposal such as incineration and development of sanitary landfills etc., are used to solve the problem. Dumping and burning waste is not acceptable practice from environment and health perspective. This paper will throw some light on the causes and effects of bad habits in terms of industrial waste disposal. It will also state some measures of how can solid waste pollution can be reduced or controlled.

Related Papers

QUEST JOURNALS

Any sort of material which has served its purpose over the course of time and is no longer useful to people is termed as waste. There are different categories of wastes but in this article our prime focus is on hazardous waste and also its management, hazardous in simpler terms means toxic. These wastes may cause damage during inadequate storage, transportation, treatment, or disposal operations; therefore they need to be properly treated. Although there are several options available for treatment of these wastes but the most prominent is to reduce the quantity of waste at its source or to recycle the materials for some other productive use. But we all are aware of the fact that waste can't be avoided so there will always be a need for proper treatment of these wastes as they can prove fatal to both human health and environment. All the steps involved in the management of these wastes must be followed in sequence. Also in India there are few well established transport, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF). Furthermore, sources, characteristics, effects and treatment methods are within the scope of this paper. The current status in India pertaining to generation of Hazardous Waste and the TSDF sites is also addressed.

Basavaraj Paruti, B Santhaveeranagoud & Hemalatha K

Municipal solid waste is a problem in most cities due to rapid urbanization, unplanned growth, nil segregation at source and unorganized collection of waste. The existing landfills are getting filled, sites for new landfill are hard to get , per capita waste production is increasing and the cost of waste collection etc. is increasing. Municipal waste arises from Residential, Commercial, Institutional and Industrial sources. It is composed of paper, plastics, glass, cloth, metals, organic waste and ashes etc. Inappropriate solid waste disposal is a major threat to the environments of developing countries since most of the solid waste generated in developing countries end up directly in open dumps which are uncontrolled and overloaded. Air pollution from landfill emissions, ground water pollution from leachates, health problems due to breeding of disease causing pests and social problems such as decreasing land values and aesthetic appeal of an area etc. are some associated problems. This paper presents a review of current practice of solid waste disposal of Bangalore Mahanagar palika. A case study of one of the solid waste dumping site in Mavallipur village, Bangalore Urban Distrct, India, has been conducted by interaction with BBMP officials, householders of village, and NGO of ESG were interviewed to examine current practices and related environmental problems. The overall environmental impacts associated with current practice of waste disposal in Mavallipur dumping site is presented in this paper.

Prof.Dr.Suaad AL-Taai

The study of waste is very important, and its decomposition into toxic substances as well as unpleasant odors. The impact of waste on the environment and public health has become a serious matter, and it is necessary to find an appropriate solution for it. The research sheds light on the definition of waste, the most important factors that contribute to the aggravation of waste accumulation, both in cities and villages, and its most important types, including industrial, agricultural, household, medical, solid, liquid, and others. It discusses essential topics, including the impact of waste on the environment and its significant impact on air, water, and soil pollution, the diseases it causes to humans, and the losses it inflicts on the countries' economies. The research also deals with the most important measures to reduce waste and its collection in cities by educating citizens about the importance of preserving the purity of the environment and human health to reduce pollution.

Ravage of the Planet IV

Ján Dvorský

K. Yaghmaeian , Fatemeh Momeniha

Suad Bećirović

This paper will discuss the problem of environmental pollution and waste management. Everything that surrounds us is directly or indirectly connected to the environment. Not only the man, but also other living beings as well as the nature (volcanic eruptions, earthquakes) have effects on environmental pollution. Environmental pollution is present from the very beginning of life, but today it is a serious problem that threatens the survival of mankind. During the preparation of scientific research, we noticed a problem: “What is the influence of the waste management on the environment?” Today, every person living on planet Earth is worried about environmental pollution because the consequences faced every day, through the air we breathe, the food and water we consume, through pollution and radiation we are exposed to. Also, the consequences of environmental problems are manifested through the lack of natural resources, extinction of plant and animal species, as well as the problems in the global ecosystems and biochemical processes. Based on the research problem we can hypothesize: Yes, waste management has a great impact on the environment.

Namita Saxena

Industrial policies, since independence fostered the growth of industries in India. The rapid industrialization has been key to the economic growth. Majority of these industries are inherently polluting in nature and have significant environmental consequences in terms of liquid effluents, air emissions and hazardous wastes. Hazardous waste is term applied to those wastes that because of their chemical reactivity, toxicity, explosiveness, corrosiveness, radioactivity or other characteristics constitutes a risk to human health or the environment. Hazardous waste management is a very important issue and is assuming significance globally. The adverse impacts caused due to the indiscriminate disposal of hazardous wastes are considered as technological disasters. Environmental policy encouraging hazardous waste reduction began in 1976 with an Environmental Protection Agency statement promoting source reduction as the preferred method of hazardous waste management. In order to best protec...

Human Rights

International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology IJSRSET

Proper treatment and disposal of Hazardous waste (HW) is the need of the hour as industrial development is happening at a rapid phase. Improper disposal of waste poses a serious threat to the environment. Until 1997 there was hardly any scientific landfill facility in the country for disposal Hazardous Waste (HW). At present, almost all the states in India have their own waste disposal facilities. Presently there are about 41 well-established treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF) located in 17 States/ Union territories in the country. Necessary regulatory mechanisms are formulated by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and implemented by State Pollution Control Boards. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has formulated guidelines and standards for facilitating better site selection for TSDF and operation of its facilities. The Hazardous Waste Management (HWM) comprises several aspects including identification, quantification, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste. As disposal of Hazardous Waste is the last option, both regulators and industries are supporting its utilisation in co-processing. Co-processing in cement industries has been identified as a better option to convert hazardous waste as it offers dual benefits of utilizing the waste as a supplementary fuel as well as an alternative raw material. About 7.81 million tonnes of hazardous waste are generated annually from 47,103 units in India. Out of 36 states and Union territories, the top 5 waste generating states are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh contributing to about 23%, 21 %, 10 %, 8% and 7 % respectively. This paper aims to analyse the current status, problems and challenges in HW Management and future strategies for improvement. The paper also focuses on impact of hazardous waste landfill site to explore environmental impacts relating to disposal facility.

GJESR Journal

The solid waste generated from industrial sources contains a large number of chemicals, some of which are toxic in Bilaspur. The waste is considered toxic, if the concentration of the ingredients exceeds a specified value. Although the levels of some ingredients may occasionally exceed the permissible level, the waste as such is considered to be toxic only if the average value of ingredients exceeds the toxicity level. Various criteria and tests have been devised by different agencies to determine the toxicity of a given substance. It is necessary to know the properties of the waste so as to assess whether its uncontrolled release to the environment would lead to toxic effects on humans or other living organism in ecosystem of Bilaspur area. It is noteworthy that the construction of the waste treatment facilities incurs high investment cost, and once the facility is established, it would be difficult to get rid of it before the end of the payback period. A careful evaluation on the environmental impacts of different waste management facilities is thus recommended, in particular for incineration

RELATED PAPERS

Giulia Orofino

Sergio Ortobelli Lozza

Joshua Tucker

Nature genetics

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

Kay Axhausen

revistapuce

Elking Araujo

Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie

Carolyn Dewa

TECHNE, Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment

giancarlo paganin

Uluslararası Muhendislik Arastirma ve Gelistirme Dergisi

mehmet şimşir

Chris Van Staden

Signal Processing

Karl Wiklund

Food Research International

ahmed gomaa

Croatian International Relations Review

Dina Tomšić

Eduvest - Journal of Universal Studies

Fery Wijaya

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING & COMPUTER SCIENCES

esma taşdemir

Neuropeptides

MARIA VIRGINIA LORDUY MILANES

The Lancet Psychiatry

Petra Boynton

Giulia Terlizzi

PROZIMA (Productivity, Optimization and Manufacturing System Engineering)

Muhammad Zidane Ramadhan

Alessandro Pelegrine Minho

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Aihua Zheng

RELATED TOPICS

•   We're Hiring!
•   Help Center
• Find new research papers in:
• Health Sciences
• Earth Sciences
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Academia ©2024

• Arts and Culture
• entertainment
• Social Media
• health-and-wellness
• relationships
• personal-finance
• Sa Cebu Ra Ni
• celebrations
• pageant world
• property views
• faces of cebu
• msme corner
• CEBU DAILY NEWS
• arts & crafts
• health & wellness
• local films
• INQUIRER.net
• RADYO INQUIRER

Localizing solid waste management plan: Implementation of RA 9003 through local ordinance in Barangay Poblacion Ward-III, Minglanilla, Cebu

Abstract – After the Philippine Government’s enactment of the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000”, literature suggests that there is still a lot to improve especially in the implementation of the law for over two decades now. Factors such as population growth, technological advancements, and the recently ended global pandemic have exacerbated the problems regarding waste management and environmental protection as a law. At the core of the bureaucracy that face these escalating factors, are the Local Government Units. This study situates the analysis towards the enacted localized legislation of RA 9003 at the Barangay level, by interrogating the implementation of such law in Barangay Ward 3 – Poblacion, in the Municipality of Minglanilla in Cebu. This looks into the actual localization of the law into a Barangay ordinance and its implementation as it tries to achieve its objectives.

Key words : ecological solid waste management; RA 9003; localized legislation; barangay ordinance

Introduction

Solid Waste refers to any waste materials generated as part or product of human activity including plastic bottles, packages, leftovers, batteries, and so on (Arıkan, Şimşit-Kalender, & Vayvay, 2017). Human activity can range from the household to industrial production and are considered as the main sources of Solid Waste. While what are considered as solid waste largely household waste (55-80%) as compared to commercial waste (10-30%) (Nabegu, 2010), the more extensive waste generation by households was created by the industrial development that reshaped human activity: from transportation, food consumption, to trading (Artiola, 2019). 

The Philippines as a developing country, is susceptible to the effects of environmental challenges ranging from flooding, pollution, to global warming and climate change. One of the main causes of such challenges is the inability to properly manage waste. In a report made by SEA Circular in 2020, it stated that the country’s solid waste generation increased by 40,087.45 tonnes per day in 2016 from 37,427.46 tonnes in 2012 (SEA Circular, 2020). According to a study in 2019, the Philippines is the 3 rd biggest plastic polluters next to China and India, with a total of 5 billion kilograms of mismanaged plastic waste (Leberton & Andrady, 2019). 

This is despite the fact that in in 2001, the Philippine government enacted the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000” or Republic Act No. 9003 (See Appendix A). This has become the fundamental law that governs the country’s national plan to address the problems of mismanaging waste disposal. RA 9003 defined Solid Waste Management as the “systematic administration of activities which provide for segregation at source, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which do not harm the environment” . It is a recognition of the magnitude of the effects of Solid Waste Management problems in relation to the achievement of sustainable development and environmental protection as articulated in various global agenda (Abubakar, I. R., et.al, 2022).  

Central to the law are provisions that ensure significant reduction of, and the proper treatment of solid wastes. This includes investment to up-to-date technologies that enhance capabilities for waste disposal, stricter regulations for dumpsites, and more significant to this research, the devolution of authority in the implementation of these provisions (Domingo & Manejar, 2021). This means, that the main responsibility to implement these are the Local Government Units, upon recognition that solid waste starts at the communities where products transform to waster after their use. In the context of empowering LGUs to take initiative in the reducing and managing solid waste though RA 9003, Municipalities and Barangays are mandated not only to setup waste collection mechanisms but also to ensure that the proper treatment of collected waste. This will be through their Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), where different kinds of waste materials are processed differently: Biodegradable waste is to be converted into fertilizers; recyclable materials are collected for recycling; and other residual wastes are transferred to proper sanitary landfills (RA 9003, 2001). However, not all LGUs have functional MRFs and available sanitary landfills. Only 31.3% of the total Barangays are served with MRFs while only 21% of the total number of LGUs in the country have access to only 114 sanitary landfills nationwide. Other wastes go to 379 operating illegal dumpsites across 1,634 LGUs while the others remain uncollected (SEA Circular, 2020). 

This is why this study tries to focus its attention at the Barangay level. It does so by focusing on the experience of Barangay Ward 3 Poblacion. It is one of the 19 Barangays under the Municipality of Minglanilla in the 1 st District of Cebu. It is a growing Municipality classified as a 1 st class municipality which is now part of the busy Metro Cebu area. It is located just one city away from Cebu City, and is home to some 150 thousand people. In 2015, Barangay Ward 3 Poblacion has enacted Ordinance No. 4 Series of 2015 also known as “Barangay Barangay Poblacion Ward-III: Integrated Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance” (See Appendix B). This localized RA 9003 to comply with its mandate under the said law. The research will generate insights into 

• The actualization of RA 9003’s objectives as localized by Ordinance No. 4 and the into the experience of implementers in relation to the achievement of one of the Ordinance’s goals: To guide, control and regulate generation, storage, collection, transport, disposal, etc. of solid waste.  
• Perceptions of community (Purok) leaders in relation to their solid waste management conditions. 

Methodology

The study aims to generate insights into the implementation of the “Barangay Poblacion Ward-III: Integrated Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance” as a localization of RA 9003 and the perceptions of local community leaders in relation to such implementation. The study uses a qualitative analysis and will do so by analyzing relevant documents specifically RA 9003 and Ordinance No.4 Series of 2015 of Barangay Poblacion Ward-III, Minglanilla, review of other relevant literature to draw the extent of RA 9003’s implementation at the Barangay level. The study will also employ a key interview with an LGU official to generate insights to their implementation of the ordinance. A short survey was also done to get perceptions from local (purok) leaders in the Barangay’s implementation of the said ordinance, specifically under its first objective. Puroks are organized communities under the Barangay which are created to facilitate the faster and more efficient function of the barangay to its constituent communities.

Data Presentation and Analysis

The Ecological Waste Management Act outlines the overall framework for the country’s Solid Waste Management program from collection, storage, treatment and so on. This law is the legal foundations for all local legislations across the country pertaining to Solid Waste Management, including Barangay Poblacion Ward-III of Minglanillla, Cebu. The law outlines the roles of Barangay units’ functions in the implementation of the National Solid Waste Management plan. In the national level, the head of the Association of Barangay Council is an Ex-Officio member of the National Solid Waste Management Commission under the office of the President (Section 4). Specifically, the barangays are tasked with the collection of biodegradables, compostable and reusable solid wastes (Section 10). 

Barangays are also mandated to craft their own Barangay Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMP) that need to be integrated with their larger political units (City and Municipality) (Section 12). From which, the barangay is responsible to collect with 100% “from residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sources, where necessary within its area of coverage, is achieved.” The barangay units need to incorporate in their respective SWMP, the specific components outlined in RA 9003’s Section 17: (c) collection and transfer, (d) processing, (e) source reduction (f) recycling (g) composting, (h) Solid waste facility capacity and final disposal, (i) education and public information (j) special waste, (k) resource requirement and funding (l) privatization of solid waste management projects, (m) incentive programs.  

Another key feature of RA 9003 in relation to the barangays is the establishment of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) for each barangay or cluster of barangays (Section 32). MRFs are supposed to be design to “receive, sort, process, and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner” (Section 33). 

Lastly, RA 9003 highlights the need for all barangay efforts for solid waste management to be coordinated among barangays and municipalities to address common solid waste management challenges. 

Barangay Poblacion Ward-III: Integrated Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance

Most provisions of the ordinance are lifted from RA 9003. It has adopted the scope of the scope of SWM by LGUs as defined initially by the law. There is a clear provision for the collection, segregation, source of reduction, composting, and recycling, among others. These are only a few of the important components identified in the RA 9003’s section 17. 

The ordinance also clearly outlines the establishment of a Barangay MRF. To aide in the segregation and recycling process to be finally done in the Barangay MRF, sitio/purok MRFs are also established for temporary storage. The final collection for transfer to the municipal dumpsite will already be through a private contractor hired by the Municipal LGU for such purpose (Section 15). 

Institutionally, these functions are clearly designated with a clear organizational structure that is responsible for the implementation of the said ordinance, not only in the segregation and collection, but also in the imposition and penalties for prohibited acts based on RA 9003. The ordinance also added more prohibited acts other than those that are already detailed by the law. These include littering, spitting & urinating in public places; as well as non-compliance to segregation and collection schedule as approved by the Barangay SWMP (Section 38).

Localization

Generally, there is an alignment of most of RA 9003’s important provisions with the Ordinance No. 4 of Barangay Poblacion-Ward III. Such observation is presented above. The ordinance even added important details that the Barangay can help in improving the national implementation of the law. Most significant of which, would be the establishment of sitio/purok based MRFs to augment the Barangay MRF in storing Solid Waste before collection by private contractors. However, not all provisions of the RA 9003 were fully incorporated in the ordinance, including very important components such as education initiatives and privatization of solid waste management programs. The good thing, is that the ordinance can still be reviewed and proper revisions and inclusions of more significant and up-to-date provisions especially new technologies and approaches. 

Perceptions of Implementation

In terms of the perception towards the implementation of RA 9003 and Ordinance No. 4 of the Barangay, the study conducted an interview with the Municipal LGU officer that is in charge with the LGU implementation of SWM. 

There is no available data as to the amount of garbage collected and stored in local MRFs by the barangay, but according the LGU Officer, garbage hauled by the garbage contractor increased due to the increase of the population of each barangay. Based on the LGUs data in year 2020, the Municipality had collected 17.9 thousand tons of garbage. In year 2021, it increased to 20 thousand tons, and to 21.7 thousand tons by 2022.  As observed, there is an increase of not less than 1 thousand tons per year which is attributed to household and commercial growth rate. 

One main factor for this is that, there are no other barangays that created their own ordinance to provide more detailed approaches to local SWM. This means all the other barangays are reliant on the implementation of the Municipal SWMP. As mentioned, the growth of the Municipality’s population and commercial activity subsequently increases the generation of solid waste. 

Another observation is the difficulty of the officials to implement because of the too many policies that the LGU needs to implement. Most officials and members of the organizational structure already have multiple functions in other committees or organization structure outlined in other laws covering other government programs. Political will of elected officials is also not fully observed especially with the uncertainty of being re-elected. 

Perceptions of community leaders

To get into the perception of the community with regards the implementation of the Ordinance and RA 9003, the study did a short survey among purok/sitio leaders with a few descriptive questions about from the visibility of garbage, availability of solid waste facilities, awareness of the law, to the need for government to address the issue of solid waste management. 

74% of the respondents sees the proliferation of garbage in their communities while only 26% said that there is not many garbage seen in their community. This somehow reflects the increase of solid waste generation as a result of the increase in household population and commercial activity previously discussed. This may also be caused by the lack of facilities and mechanisms for collection.

The same percentage (74%) said that there is no segregation of garbage in their communities while the others (26%) said there is segregation. Even with the presence of sitio MRFs, segregation is still problematic in the barangay. Household segregation is the start of effective segregation instead of simply relying on MRFs. This could mean that the need to do segregation has not yet been fully popularized despite the presence of a national legislation and a local ordinance. Even if communities are already aware of these national and local legislations. 100% of the total respondents said they know that there is a national law and a local ordinance pertaining to solid waste management. This does not automatically translate to it being the case for all the members of the community. All of them also felt the need for the LGUs to exert more effort in addressing this problem. This re-echoes the observation that not all the important components of RA 9003 are fully incorporated in the Barangay ordinance. Specifically, the role of education and mechanisms for community participation are not outlined in Ordinance No. 4. This explains the high awareness of the law but low translation in garbage collection and segregation. 

Conclusions

There is a gap in the law (both RA 9003 & Ordinance No. 4) in terms of coverage and implementation. Upon review, RA 9003 is concentrated on the management of waste as waste already. It is generally reactive than preventive. It does not include specific provisions that regulate sources of solid waste, mainly industries that produce these products that will eventually become waste. While majority of what is considered waste comes from household consumption, it is only made available by the industry and commercial activity that leads to the household. There is no national legislation that goes hand in hand with RA 9003 that regulates plastic generation and pollution (UNEP, 2018).

While there is a general alignment of the intentions by Ordinance No. 4 from RA 9003, the challenges of implementation are still very present in the barangay level. Identified factors are the non-inclusion of important provisions from RA 9003, lack of political will, among others.

Ultimately, these gaps highlight the inability of existing legislations (local and national) to adjust to the exponential increase in waste generation that comes along with population growth and commercial activity growth. 

• Domingo, S., & Manejar, A. J. (2021, January). An analysis of regulatory policies on solid waste management in the Philippines: Ways forward. PIDS. https://www.pids.gov.ph/publication/discussion-papers/an-analysis-of-regulatory-policies-on-solid-waste-management-in-the-philippines-ways-forward
• Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. Republic Act No. 9003. January 2001. Official Gazette. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/01/26/republic-act-no-9003-s-2001/
• Nabegu, A. B. (2010). An Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria. Journal of Human Ecology, 31(2), 111–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/09709274.201
• SEA Circular (2020, April). Country Profile: The Philippines. https://www.sea-circular.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SEA-circular-Country-Briefing_THE-PHILIPPINES.pdf.

This paid content is brought to you by Lecar Marie Maghanoy.

ADVERTORIAL

RELATED STORIES:

No Time To Waste: A collaboration

Therma Visayas shoulder to shoulder with LGU to fight Toledo fire

Federal land spearheads coastal revival through mangrove planting in carcar city.

Subscribe to our regional newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy .

• Environment
• Siloy is watching

© 2018 Cebu Daily News - All Rights Reserved

• COVID-19 Full Coverage
• Cover Stories
• Ulat Filipino
• Special Reports
• Personal Finance
• Other sports
• Pinoy Achievers
• Immigration Guide
• Science and Research
• Technology, Gadgets and Gaming
• Chika Minute
• Showbiz Abroad
• Family and Relationships
• Art and Culture
• Health and Wellness
• Shopping and Fashion
• Hobbies and Activities
• News Hardcore
• Walang Pasok
• Transportation
• Missing Persons
• Community Bulletin Board
• GMA Public Affairs
• State of the Nation
• Unang Balita
• Balitanghali
• News TV Live

CHR slams Abra barangay's alleged penalty for improper waste disposal

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR)  on Saturday denounced the controversial sanction imposed by a barangay in Bangued, Abra for improper waste disposal. 

The barangay captain and six other officials of Barangay Calaba were suspended for 90 days after several residents complained that the penalty for the third offense seemed to imply a death sentence.

The controversial tarpaulin showed that violators must pay a fine of P1,000 for the first offense; and P1,000 and eight hours of community service for a second offense. For the third offense, the sign showed an illustration of a handgun.

“Such cruel directives and offenses does not address the problem, instead, it only perpetuates confusion, perplexity, and distress among the constituents,” the CHR said in a statement. “These heinous remarks have not only caused social unrest but also posed a direct threat to the right to life.” 

The CHR said that local government officials should not make light of such sensitive issues, emphasizing that the death penalty is prohibited under the 1987 Constitution. 

“Such ordinances must align with national laws and respect fundamental human rights, ensuring that they do not overstep legal and ethical boundaries,” it added. 

“Local leaders are responsible for serving the immediate interests of their constituents. Above all, they should embody the morals and values of leadership, particularly in respecting everyone’s rights.” 

The human rights agency commended the local government of Bangued for its swift action against the six barangay officials. 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is hearing their cases on grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, gross neglect of duty, gross dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Meanwhile, Sangguniang Barangay Secretary Eric Astudillo emphasized that the preventive suspension was not a penalty.

"Ang purpose lamang nito ay upang hindi maimpluwensiyahan ang mga witnesses at upang hindi masira ang integrity ng mga records at iba pang mga dokumento," Astudillo had said in his native language.

(Its purpose is not to influence the witnesses, and to protect the integrity of the records and other documents.)

GMA News Online sought for further comments from the Municipality of Bangued and the Sangguniang Bayan of Bangued. — DVM, GMA Integrated News

Proper garbage disposal will contribute to flood prevention

We all know that the rainy season is coming, even while the warnings about danger-level heat index in many parts of the country are still being issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). 

Recently, the state weather bureau said the onset of the rainy season may happen during the first half of June. In 2023, the onset of the rainy season was officially declared on June 2.

The reminders to prepare for the rainy season are still issued every year, not only by PAGASA, but also by other government agencies whose functions include efficient services that can be affected by the change of season.  One of them is the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) whose functions also include addressing the problem of flooding and traffic flow.

Recently, the MMDA appealed to the residents of the National Capital Region (NCR) to observe proper waste disposal so as to avoid clogging the drainage systems to prevent flooding which will exacerbate the traffic problem. 

MMDA said flood mitigation measures have been stepped up in the past weeks but flooding may still be experienced in some areas mostly due to improper waste disposal. The MMDA has identified 80 flood-prone areas in Metro Manila.

Regular work on flood prevention measures is done by the MMDA, the local government units and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). And yet, flooding still is a major problem during the rainy season. 

Instilling a sense of responsibility to dispose of waste properly because that act will contribute to flooding, traffic, and pollution needs more than laws and information campaigns. To encourage an individual to dispose waste properly as an act of a responsible citizen needs the presence of waste disposal facilities and the support of a regular garbage collection system in every barangay. 

In an environment forum early this year, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos disclosed that only “1,107 out of the 1,634 LGUs all over the country have access to sanitary facilities. More or less, 500 LGUs do not have access to sanitary landfills. The question is: Where do they dispose their waste?”

There are still many areas not only in Metro Manila where piles of garbage bags are left for days, likely because there is no regular – or no existing –garbage collection system there. 

Recently, barangay officials in a town in Abra were cited by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for “severe disregard for human rights” for a barangay ordinance that proposed “execution or death penalty” for the third offense of illegal garbage dumping. In a statement, the CHR said the ordinance and the subsequent posting of tarpaulin showing a picture of a gun that connotes execution or death as penalty for the third offense “trivialize” the most fundamental right of all – the right to life.

While we do not support an ordinance that trivializes life, dissecting what led to that improper act which got the barangay officials suspended may show the exasperation of some local officials over implementing proper garbage disposal. In that case, the barangay officials set penalties starting with ₱1,000 for the first offense.

It is a fact – proper disposal of waste needs a facility and a system that citizens can see and trust to be a regular service.  It especially needs citizens to act responsibly and dispose of their garbage properly.  These two factors can be the start of keeping the floods away this rainy season.