Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Speak out: Environmental laws By Sam Bumatay
IT has was reported earlier that the Philippines leads in environmental laws among Southeast Asian countries. The report was made after a workshop was held in Cebu City attended by representatives from local government units (LGUs), nongovernment organizations and National Government agencies. The report was an eye-opener for me considering the many environment problems our cities and towns are experiencing.
One of these environmental laws is Republic Act (RA) 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Section 37 of the law prohibit the use of open dumps for solid wastes "five years following the effectivity of this Act.”
The law provides that “local government officials and officials of government agencies concerned who fail to comply with and enforce rules and regulation promulgated relative to this Act shall be charged administratively.”
This comprehensive law has been in effect for over five years now. But here in Cebu, how many cities and towns have complied fully with the law?
How many open dump sites, which completely disregard environmental and health requirements, are still in use today? How many new sanitary landfills are in existence today that fully comply with the requirements of the law? If Section 50 of will be enforced many city and town mayors and officials of government agencies in the Philippines would have been charged administratively for failure to fully implement the law.
Clean air
Congress also passed the Clean Air Act. But just drive around the city and you see black smoke coming out of exhausts of many vehicles, including tricycles, motorbikes, jeeps, multicabs and trucks. Those who take the jeepney between Cebu City and Mandaue will notice how dirty soot coming from vehicular exhausts covers every exposed part of their body as well as their clothing.
Did any government agency ever checked the quality of air in Metro Cebu during heavy traffic hours? The health Department should warn citizens about the danger of staying out when smog, air pollutants coming from vehicle exhausts and other generators of air pollution, are excessive in the area.
All vehicles are supposed to secure and pass emission tests before they can be registered and during annual renewal of registration. But due to rampant corruption and inefficiencies in the government one does not have to take the car to an emission test center to have it tested. The vehicle owner can just pay the emission test fee plus an unspecified additional sum and that’s it! So now, we must not wonder why there are so many vehicles with defective exhaust system on our streets.
Then there’s the Clean Water Act. In Cebu, all rivers and creeks are dumping ground of human, industrial and commercial wastes. Even our beaches are dirty.
The Philippines might be leading in the legislation of environmental laws in Southeast Asia, and that’s good news to hear. But these environmental laws are only worth as much as the papers they’re written on if they are not implemented.
Implementation is the key. Or are we not capable to implement and follow the laws?
