SENATOR Loren Legarda on Saturday stressed the need for stricter implementation of Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Law, citing stronger funding support and non-compliance of local government units.
“It is lamentable that 15 years after the measure was enacted into law, compliance rate is still very low. But I am optimistic that this year will be different,” the senator said.
Legarda, principal author and sponsor of the law, made the statement in line with the upcoming 15th anniversary of the ESWM Act on January 26.
“Hopefully, more LGUs will be able to properly implement the law because we have allocated funds for capacity building programs and concerned government agencies are also looking into LGUs that are not compliant so that legal actions may be undertaken,” she added.
The Environmental Ombudsman, in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) and the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), is investigating LGUs that have yet to comply with the ESWM Law, especially those that are still operating open and controlled dumpsites.
Under the law, all open and controlled dumpsites should now be closed and instead, sanitary landfills should have been established. All LGUs should also have a solid waste management plan, which should be submitted to and approved by NSWMC.
The law also provides that there should be mandatory segregation of waste at source and a “no segregation, no collection” policy.
All barangays, Legarda said, should have a materials recovery facility, where waste materials are sorted for composting and recycling and the residual waste will be brought to sanitary landfills.
In order to strengthen law, Legarda, chair of Senate finance committee, said P599 million was allocated under the DENR-EMB for capacity building programs for LGUs.
“There are very few LGUs that have effectively and efficiently complied with the ESWM Law. The fact that there are compliant LGUs only means that it is doable and there is no reason why other LGUs could not follow suit. I hope our leaders will have the political will to implement the law at full speed,” Legarda said. (Sunnex)