Across
the Philippines, solid waste disposal is a massive problem. Loads of garbage,
ranging from empty bottles, leftover foods to human excreta, are being
generated every day. The availability of trash bins is considered useless
because people lack the knowledge to use them properly.
According to a study conducted by the
Philippine Environment Monitor of 2001, a Filipino generates about 0.3 to 0.7
kilograms of waste everyday depending on the income level. Seventy percent
(70%) of the domestic garbage is collected in urban areas, and thirty percent
(30%) are collected in rural areas. Two (2%) percent of generated waste are
disposed on landfills, ten percent (10%) is composted and a small percentage is
recycled. The rest are disposed in open dumps. Five percent (5%) of the
estimated hazardous waste are recycled or treated annually. Therefore, there is
still a lot of waste left untreated and, there is still a great need to acquire
landfills for this untreated waste. Despite the legislation of RA 9003 or the Ecological
Solid Waste Management, which gives the local government units (LGUs) the
authority to take charge of the management of solid waste management programs
in their respective areas of responsibility—requiring the people to practice segregation,
reusing and recycling, some communities are still unable to comply. The low
level of environmental literacy and awareness of the public partly
contributed to the difficulties in implementing and enforcing environmental
laws and policy, particularly, laws on cleanliness and sanitation (Jaworski
& DENR, 2002).
The dumpsite for waste disposal in the
municipality of Liloy is currently located in barangay Overview. Solid waste
from the Poblacion area are being handled by the garbage collector and dumped
to the dumpsite on a daily schedule. However, other barangays, especially those
located in areas remote from the Poblacion, resort to traditional ways of solid
waste disposal such as open dumping and burning. Open burning, which emits
pollutant hazardous to health and environment, however, is prohibited as stated
in Rule III Section 1 of the Republic Act of 9003, otherwise known as the
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001. Having a sufficient land area
for garbage disposal, the local government advocated the use of compost pit
disposals instead of using garbage collection truck as a garbage collection
system for the barangay. Each household
has a so-called “layakan” in their backyards. “Layakan” is supposed to be a two-way
compost pit disposal; one for biodegradable waste and the other for
non-biodegradable waste.
In a community assessment in Barangay
Goaw, Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte, improper garbage disposal was one of the
community’s perceived top problems. One could even see the indiscriminate
dumping of waste on the residents’ backyards. Surveyed data showed that only
25% has compost pit disposals (without segregation of biodegradable and non
biodegradable) and 32% burn their garbage in the backyard. Waste segregation is
not practiced by 75% of the households.
Considering the potential threat improper solid waste
disposal can present to health and environment, interventions placing emphasis
on segregation, recycling and composting as mandated by ESWM RA 9003, are
important. Moreover, resources for proper solid waste disposal would be made
available in the public areas, supporting the advocacy of Section 32 of RA
9003, which requires that there shall be separate container, which are properly
labeled for each type of waste from all sources and that there shall be
established Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in every barangay or cluster of
barangay, respectively. With the implementation of these strategies, the pressing
problem on solid waste management in Goaw will be resolved.
Shown below are the objectives, strategies and results of the health plan on solid waste management:
Specific
Objective #1
To
decrease the percentage of households who do not practice waste segregation
from 75% to 25%.
Previous Strategies Done
ü “Tsikiting Basura Program” pertains to a simple and creative story-telling conducted
in Goaw Day-care center highlighting solid waste segregation last October 2014
and 2015. This program also involves lecture-discussion among school-aged
children about waste segregation.
Current Strategies Done
ü “Tsikiting Basura Brigade,” a group of volunteer
school-aged children, who conduct clean-up drives every Saturday, was formed
last December 2016. The “TBB” cleans
certain areas of the Barangay such as the main road and the Sentro of the Barangay once every week
observing waste segregation in the process.
ü
“Basura ko, Responsibilidad ko”, an assembly about proper solid
waste management as per RA 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management was conducted
last April 2015 and this December 2016.
Results
·
Last November 2016, the “Tsikiting Basura Brigade” was formed. This
group is consisted of 13 enthusiastic, volunteer school-aged children. The
group’s task includes conducting cleanup-drives once every week on the main
road and Sentro of the Barangay.
· “Basura ko, Responsibilidad ko” which
was conducted last April 2015 was conducted again this December 2016. The event was successful as evidenced by an increase
in the average scores from 6.9 to 8.23.
· As of
December 2016,the percentage of households who do not practice waste
segregation decreased from 75% to 21%.
Future Plans
· The group plans to continue
monitoring the effect of the “Basura ko, Responsibilidad ko Program,” by
determining the waste segregation practices of the residents.
Specific Objective #2
To decrease the percentage of households who do not
practice recycling from 86% to 25%
Previous Strategies Done
ü Coordinated
with a local junkshop to gain support and inputs for the proposed projects and
forthcoming activities. An existing agreement between the barangay and a local
junkshop was then identified last October 2015.
ü Distribution of informative brochures to each
household highlighting the importance and advantages of recycling. Eighty-eight
(88%) percent of the households
received informative pamphlets highlighting the importance and benefits of
recycling last April 2015.
Results
·
As
of December 2016, the percentage of households who do not practice recycling
decreased from 86% to 11%
Future Plans
o
The group plans to continue
monitoring the recycling practices of the residents.
Specific Objective #3
To increase
the number of proper resources (trash bins and barangay MRF) for solid waste
segregation and disposal in the public areas from 0 to 8
Previous Strategies Done
ü
The group conducted a meeting
with the Barangay officials and SWM Committee last October 2015 to implement
the agreed plan for the construction of trash bins. Afterwards,
acquisition of proper and cost effective trash bins and the establishment of a
Barangay Material Recovery Facility were accomplished. As of December 2016, the four trash bins
which were turned over to the barangay last October 2015, are still existing
and functional. The Barangay Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which had already been constructed by
the Barangay last October 2015, and the other 7 barangay MRF’s, which were
added per purok, are still fully functional. The residents of the Barangay are
really using these structures contributing to the award won by the Barangay
during the Clean and Green Competition last August, which was the “Barangay
with the most functional MRF.”
Future
Plans
o
The
group plans to improve the main Barangay MRF by adding specific compartments to
distinguish the recyclables like glasses, metals and cans. Hopefully, the plan
will be realized on January 2017.
Specific Objectives #4
To decrease the percentage of households who practice
composting from 75% to 25%
Current Strategies Done
ü
“Layakan Ta,
Paninduton Ta Program”, a seminar regarding composting and its advantages
spearheaded last December 2016 in coordination with the SWM Committee and
external linkages of different government agencies (DENR, DA).
Results
·
As of December 2016, the “Layakan Ta,
Paninduton Ta Program” which was conducted in coordination with the DENR with
a 28% attendance.
Currently, the percentage
of households who do not practice
recycling decreased from 75% to 20%.
As of December 2016, all the
activities proposed for the improvement of the solid waste management practices
of the residents were already done. The effect of the activities and projects
are now currently being monitored in terms of the percentage of households who
practice waste segregation, recycling and composting. Currently, the percentage
of households who practice proper solid waste management (waste segregation,
recycling and composting) increased from 14% to 78%. The group remains hopeful
that the improvement in the solid waste management practices of the residents
would continue.
