On the 24th anniversary of Republic Act (RA) 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, Filipino environmental justice group, BAN Toxics, has called for a comprehensive review of the law’s implementation and advocated for stronger enforcement measures.
RA 9003 serves as the framework for establishing an integrated solid waste management programme focused on resource conservation and recovery. It aims to protect public health and the environment through effective waste reduction, segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment, and disposal.
BAN Toxics laments that, more than two decades after its enactment on January 26, 2001, the impact of RA 9003 remains underwhelming. Challenges such as improper waste disposal, insufficient infrastructure, and gaps in public awareness persist, underscoring the need for stronger action to fully realise the law’s potential.
The 2023 Commission on Audit (COA) report highlights a concerning rise in solid waste, from 9.07 million metric tons in 2000 to 16.63 million in 2020, with projections reaching 24.5 million tons by 2045. The audit also found a significant lack of material recovery facilities (MRFs) and sanitary landfills (SLFs), with only 39% of barangays (16,418 out of 42,046) served by MRFs in 2021, and only 29.25% (478 of 1,634 LGUs) having access to SLFs.
Without proper MRFs for waste reduction, such as recycling and composting, most solid waste ends up in dumpsites or is openly burned, further worsening pollution, as noted in a 2020 study published by ScienceDirect.
The Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) found that, from 2017 to 2020, LGUs in NCR spent an average of PHP 384 million annually on waste management, funded by the DENR, taxes, and other revenue streams. Quezon City had the highest expenditure, allocating PHP 2.13 billion in 2020.
While the government is increasing its budget to ecological solid waste management, as reflected in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for FY 2024 – allocating PHP 334,707,000 to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for the implementation of waste management regulations, a slight increase from PHP 325,912,000 in 2023 – significant gaps remain in addressing the full scale of the waste crisis.
“RA 9003 is crucial but poorly implemented, and its shortcomings are evident, particularly during floods. There are also unseen effects, such as toxic waste contaminating the environment and posing long-term health risks to communities,” stated Thony Dizon, Campaign and Advocacy Officer of BAN Toxics.
Dizon emphasised that the country should adopt the principle of Zero Waste, which encourages reducing the production and consumption of goods that will eventually become waste. Zero waste also serves as a strategy for conserving natural resources and protecting ecosystems. He also highlighted plastic pollution as a critical issue that needs to be addressed.
The DENR reports that the Philippines generates 2.7 million tons of plastic waste annually, contributing to the 61,000 metric tons of solid waste produced daily – enough to fill 37 Olympic-sized pools. This includes 163 million plastic sachets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags. Alarmingly, only a third of this waste ends up in landfills, while 35% is discarded into the ocean. In response, BAN Toxics calls for a nationwide ban on single-use plastics.
One of the key responsibilities of LGUs, as mandated by RA 9003, is also to divert at least 25% of waste through practices like reuse, recycling, and composting. However, waste diversion is often handled through informal channels, such as recycling operations at junk shops.
In a discussion paper published in 2021, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) highlighted the “prominent role” of the informal economy in the solid waste processing phase, noting that it “bridged the gaps across material collection, segregation, and recycling.” Junk shops served as pseudo-material recovery facilities, and scavengers and street collectors retrieved recyclables for their market value, the analysis stated.
BAN Toxics highlights the vital role of informal waste collectors and junk shops in waste recovery and recycling efforts. The group calls for formalisation of their work through the provision of health benefits, training, support, and access to proper facilities and equipment. Empowering them would improve the effectiveness of waste minimisation programmes, increase waste diversion rates, and foster a more inclusive approach to environmental sustainability.
“On the 24th anniversary of RA 9003, BAN Toxics reaffirms its commitment to advancing environmental awareness and developing innovative, long-term solutions for more effective solid waste reduction,” Dizon concluded.