Post-election proper waste disposal policy prohibiting burning lauded
Press Release Date: May 20, 2022
International advocacy organization, Oceana, lauds the advisory issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, reminding candidates and their supporters alike on the proper disposal and management of waste during the electoral campaign sorties.
“Now that the campaign and the elections are done, we reiterate the shared responsibilities of local government units, national government agencies and other stakeholders under the law, RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Foremost of these are the safeguards against illegal dumping and burning, and to come up with strategies and initiatives to upcycle the waste from campaign materials,” said Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Vice President.
The marine conservation group lamented the more than two decades of refusal and failure of the government to fully implement a very progressive law in RA 9003 to sustainably deal with solid waste management.
Oceana also raised alarm on the plan of some local government units and national government agencies to partner with cement kiln and waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities wherein the waste will be fed as fuel.
The Philippines is the first and remains the only country to ban incineration under Republic Act No. 8749, or the Philippine Clean Air Act (CAA). On December 6, 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2019-21, Guidelines Governing Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facilities for the Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Wastes (signed on November 26, 2019), which provides guidelines for the establishment and operation of Waste to Energy (WTE) facilities using Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) despite the ban on incineration under the CAA. This DAO is the subject of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups and individuals in the Supreme Court in July 2021.
“We trust that local government officials and national government agency heads, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will take the necessary steps to perform the mandate given to them by the law to instill the hierarchy of ecological values in waste management – “waste avoidance, volume reduction through source reduction and waste minimization measures, including composting, recycling, re-use, recovery, green charcoal process, and others, before collection, treatment and disposal in appropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles.” In the end, we all have to ensure the safety and health of the people and protect the environment above all else,” Ramos said.
Oceana is an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. Since 2014, Oceana has been working closely with national and local government agencies, civil society, fisherfolk and other stakeholders to restore abundance of Philippine fisheries and marine resources. [END]
Pinuri ng Oceana ang patakaran sa tamang pagtatapon at ang pagbabawal ng pagsusunog ng basura [Filipino Version]
Pinapurihan ng international advocacy organization na Oceana ang advisory na inilabas ng Department of the Interior and Local Government na nagpapaalala sa mga kandidato at kanilang mga tagasunod ng tamang pagtatapon ng basura mula sa mga kampanyang isinagawa sa katatapos na halalan.
“Ngayong tapos na ang kampanya at halalan, binibigyang diin namin ang mga tungkulin ng mga lokal na pamahalaan, pambansang ahensya ng pamahalaan, at iba pang susing sektor sa ilalim ng batas, RA 9003 o ang Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Pangunahin dito ang mga pananggalang sa iligal na pagtatapon at pagsusunog, at ang paglalatag ng mga hakbang at inisyatibo para gamitin sa iba pang pamamaraan ang mga ginamit sa kampanya,” ayon kay Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Vice President.
Inilantad ng nasabing grupo ang kapabayaan ng pamahalaang ipatupad ang isang napakahusay na batas, ang RA 9003 na naipasa mahigit dalawang dekada na ang nakakaraan upang maiayos ang mga basura.
Nagbabala rin ang Oceana sa plano ng ilang lokal na pamahalaan at pambansang ahensya ng pamahalaan na makipagsabwatan sa mga nagluluto ng semento at mga waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities na ginagamit na panggatong ang mga basura.
Ang Pilipinas ang pinakauna at natatanging bansa na ipinagbawal ang pagsusunog sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 8749 o ang Philippine Clean Air Act (CAA). Noong December 6, 2019, naglabas ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ng Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2019-21, Guidelines Governing Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facilities for the Integrated Management of Municipal Solid Wastes (pinirmahan noong November 26, 2019). Ito ang mga alituntunin sa pagtatayo at pagpapagana ng Waste to Energy (WTE) facilities para maisaayos ang mga basura ng mga munisipyo sa kabila ng pagbabawal nito sa ilalim ng CAA. Ang naturang DAO ang dahilan ng kasong isinampa sa Korte Supreme ng mga maka-kalikasang grupo at indibidwal noong Hulyo 2021.
“Nagtitiwala kami na gagawin ng mga pinuno ng lokal na pamahalaan at mga pambansang ahensya, lalo na ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources ang mga kailangang hakbang upang gampanan ang kanilang mga tungkulin ayon sa batas na nagtatakda ng higit na halaga sa ekolohiya sa usapin ng pangangasiwa sa mga basura – “iwasan ang basura, bawasan ito sa pamamagitan pagtatanggal nito sa pinagmulan pa lamang at iba pang mga hakbang tulad ng pag-compost, paggamit muli kahit sa ibang gamit naman, pagpapaayos, green charcoal process, at iba pa, bago ito kolektahin, gamutin at itapon sa mga angkop at ligtas ang kalikasan na mga pasilidad.” Sa huli, kailangan nating tiyakin ang kaligtasan at kalusugan ng mga tao at protektahan ang kalikasan, higit sa anumang tungkulin,” sabi ni Ramos.
Ang Oceana ay nag-iisang international advocacy organization na nakatutok sa pangangalaga ng mga karagatan sa buong mundo. Simula noong 2014, nakikipagtulungan ang Oceana sa mga pambansa at lokal na mga ahensya ng pamahalaan, civil society, mangingisda at iba pang stakeholders upang maibalik ang malusog na karagatan at yamang-dagat sa Pilipinas. (END)