By Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David
Let’s call a spade a spade.
Most so-called “sanitary landfills” in the Philippines are dumpsites in disguise. Under RA 9003, only residual waste — after segregation, composting, and recycling — should go to landfills. In reality, everything is mixed together: biodegradable, recyclable, toxic, industrial, even medical waste.
The result:
Methane emissions that worsen climate change
Leachate that poisons soil, rivers, and coastal waters
Public health risks, especially for poor communities
Food insecurity, as seen around Manila Bay
This is climate injustice.
This is a public health crisis.
But here is the biggest missing link in the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act:
Education, formation, and consciousness-raising.
Local government units (LGUs) spend billions hauling and dumping garbage but invest almost nothing in teaching people how not to produce it.
If the largest portion of solid waste budgets were spent on:
sustained public education,
household-level waste segregation,
composting and recycling training,
solid waste would be reduced to a bare minimum.
The tragedy in Cebu is not an accident.
It is a warning of what happens when laws exist — but minds and habits remain unchanged.
Call to action
Citizens: Practice waste segregation at home. Demand separate collection. Hold LGUs accountable.
LGUs: Shift budgets from dumping to education. Enforce RA 9003 fully. Close unsanitary landfills.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and regulators: Stop approving projects that violate environmental laws.
This is not just about garbage.
It is about health, climate justice, and the future of our children.