Philippine+Solid+Waste+Management

PHILIPPINE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT The Philippines generates about 10,000 million tons of solid waste per year and only 12 percent of the waste is recycled and re-used. The single most dominant issue for solid waste management (SWM) is the inadequacy of disposal facilities. Presently, open dumping is still the most common waste disposal method as controlled dumpsites and sanitary landfills (SLFs) are very limited. The opportunities presented by this serious environmental problem to suppliers of solid waste management products and equipment are enormous. The potential, however, is tempered by inadequate funds and technical capability, lack of political will and other problems. Despite the limitations, the market for SWM is still expected to grow five percent in the next three years. The major end-users of SWM products and equipment are the local government units and their private contractors as well as private proponents of SWM projects. The equipment cost and the source of project funding are major purchase considerations of end-users. Overview Solid waste is an environmental problem that has reached critical proportions in the Philippines. Due to a growing population, rapidly increasing consumption and increasing urbanization, waste generated in the Philippines is estimated at 19,700 tons per day. Projections show that waste generation will increase 47 percent by 2010, or 28,875 tons per day. SWM is the responsibility of local government units (LGUs), i.e., barangays (the smallest political unit composed of 50-100 families), municipalities, cities and provincial governments. There are 41,392 barangays, 1502 municipalities, 116 cities and 71 provinces nationwide. The barangay is responsible for the segregation of waste at source, collection of biodegradable and recyclable components and setting up of a materials recovery facility (MRF). There are about 976 MRFs nationwide. The municipality or city governments are responsible for the collection and disposal of residual nonbiodegradable and hazardous waste, except in Metro Manila where disposal is within the mandate of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) was signed into law in January 2000 to address the gargantuan solid waste problem of the Philippines. It espouses the reuse, recovery and recycling of MSW, with special emphasis on composting, as opposed to outright disposal. RA 9003 set February 2004 as the deadline for shifting from open to controlled dumping. By February 2006, the law states

2 that controlled dumpsites will be deemed closed and phased out. RA 9003 does not specify what type of disposal facility should be operated when the controlled dumpsites are phased out. However, the law contains minimum requirements for designing SLFs as well as minimum considerations for operating SLFs. February 2004 has long passed but only about 126 LGUs had implemented the conversion of open dumps into controlled disposal facilities. There are still about 734 open dumpsites nationwide. In contrast, there are only four SLFs (Clark Ecozone in Tarlac; Cebu City in the Visayas; Bais, Negros Oriental and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan) in the country. About 215 sites have been identified as potential SLFs. At the current rate of implementation, LGUs’ full compliance with the law is difficult to achieve. Disregard for solid waste disposal regulations and laws, lack of political will, huge capital outlay requirements and insufficient funds, lengthy and bureaucratic processes (permits, environmental clearance certificate, etc.), inadequate technical capacity, insufficient number or inappropriate collection vehicles, inability to reach households or collection stations and limited storage at transfer points are among the problems. In addition, potential disposal sites are difficult to find due to public resistance to hosting facilities for storage, processing, treatment and final disposal of MSW. The failure of LGUs to close open dumps and establish the proper disposal facilities is now subject to lawsuits. The effect of these lawsuits on LGUs should be closely monitored. If this will impel them to seriously implement RA 9003, then the demand for SWM products and equipment will increase tremendously. Since the establishment of dumps and landfills is costly, many LGUs are pushing for more composting and recycling activities. There are reports that the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the government entity tasked to oversee the implementation of solid waste management plans, may release information on types of disposal facilities other than SLF that LGUs may operate by December 2005. These other types of disposal facilities will have direct impact on the types of SWM products and equipment that will be demanded by LGUs and their contractors or partners. RA 9003 promotes recycling. To date, only 12 percent of MSW is recycled or reused. About 50 percent of the country’s solid waste is highly organic (biodegradable) and recyclable. Thus, composting and recycling have great potential. Composting activities in barangays are rather crude, using only rotary or mechanical drums or perforated membranes using aerobic method. While the LGUs have the primary responsibility in SWM, the private sector may help by putting up production processes and technologies that prevent and minimize waste generated as well as efficiently treating and disposing all unavoidable waste products. There are a few private entities with recycling projects. These include the PET recycling projects of San Miguel Corporation, a food, beverage and packaging corporation; and the recycling plant for packaging

3 materials of the Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Philippines, a group of foam polystyrene producers. RA 9003 In the light of growing garbage problem in the country, Republic Act (RA) 9003 also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 was enacted by the Philippine Government. "The unsystematic disposal and collection of our wastes have posed a tough job for our government. With the modernization of society, we have come to accumulate more wastes than we can manage to dispose of properly. Left unmanaged and improperly disposed, wastes can cause serious heath problems to everyone. Moreover, a dirty environment defeats the aesthetic potential of our surrounding," the Bureau in its statement. In return, RA 9003 provides for a systematic and comprehensive Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) program for all sectors of society to adopt and implement. Solid waste refers to all discarded household and commercial waste, nonhazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste and non-hazardous/non-toxic solid waste. ESWM refers to the systematic administration of activities which provide for segregation at sources, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing treatment and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which do not harm the environment. "This is an Act providing for ESWM program, creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating funds therefore and for other purposes." The basic policies of RA 9003: A) Ensure the protection of public health and environment; B) Utilize environmentally sound methods that maximize the utilization of valuable resources and encourage resources conservation and recovery; C) Set guidelines and targets for solid waste avoidance and 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 inappropriate and environmentally sound solid waste management facilities in accordance with ecologically sustainable development principles; D) Ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best

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E)

F) G)

H) I) J)

environmental practices in ecological waste management excluding incineration; Promote national research and development programs for improved solid waste management and resource conservation techniques, more effective institutional arrangement and indigenous and improved methods of waste reduction, collection, separation and recovery. Encourage greater private sector participation in solid waste management Retain primary enforcement and responsibility of solid waste management with local government units while establishing a cooperative effort among the national government, other local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations and the private sector; Encourage cooperation and self-regulation among waste generators through the application of market-based instruments; Institutionalize public participation in the development and the implementation of national and local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs; and Strengthen the integration of ecological solid waste management and resource conservation and recovery topics into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education in order to promote environmental awareness among the citizenry.

A National Solid Waste Management Commission was established as provided by RA 9003 to oversee the implementation of SWM plans and prescribe policies to achieve objectives of this Act. The Commission shall be composed of 14 members from the government sector and 3 members from the private sector. Mandatory Segregation of solid wastes; each LGU's Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Plan must include implementation schedule which shows that within 5 years after this Act takes effect, the LGU shall divert at least 25 percent of all solid wastes from waste disposal facilities through reuse, recycling, and composting activities Open dumpsites shall not be allowed as disposal sites; and, establishment of LGU's Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in every barangay or cluster of barangays, a mandatory provision of Republic act 9003. MRF is considered as the heart and soul of ecological waste management. The MRF is a place where wastes are either made into compost and/or recycled. In essence, it is important place because this is where marketable products out of waste are stored. Its main components are; Ecology garden, a composting site, not a dumpsite. The MRF center has also a choice of which method or methods to use; Eco shed or warehouse where clean recyclable are stored to be sold to the factories. Article 4 Section 32 provided the establishment of LGU MRF may it be barangay owned, leased land or any suitable open space which shall be designed to receive, sort,

5 process and store compostable and recyclable material efficiently and in an environmentally sound manner. The facility shall address considerations such as the building and/or land lay out and equipment must be designed to accommodate efficient and safe materials processing, movement, and storage and building must be designed to allow efficient and safe external access and to accommodate internal flow. A successful MRF has five key elements ESWM which are; 1) Engineeringappropriate processing equipment sand design and technically viable and environmentally sound recycling and reuse process; 2) Education-effective promotion, information and education campaign for segregation, collection and compliance to ordinances; 3) Enforcement-Ordinances with IRR that will enable and empower enforcers and implementers; 4) Environmental Organization supportive ESWM Board and LGU, adequate information on LGU profile and waste characterization for effective planning and projections;5) Equity-financially viable management and operation from production to marketing, availability of support and start-up fund. In Metro Manila alone there was reportedly around 5,900 tons of garbage or 0.5 kg per person being generated daily. While for areas outside Metro Manila, the waste generation rate ranges from 0.3 to about 0.5 kg per person a day. Residents of urban centers produce between 0.5 and 0.7 kg a day, while those in rural areas generate 0.3 kg per person a day. There is 29.8 percent of solid waste being collected; Paper and cardboard, plastic and petroleum products, textiles, Metals, Glass, Leather and rubber. Reportedly, there are more than 800 open dumps in the country but only a hundred were controlled. It is estimated that garbage dumps increases at two percent per year. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ilo/2005/12/11/news/environment.presents.ra.90 03.html

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Government-wide Performance Audit Report on Solid Waste Collection System of the Quezon City Government (January 2001 - June 2002)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

BACKGROUND Solid waste, according to internationally accepted definition, is non-liquid waste material arising from domestic trade, commercial, industrial and mining activities. It also includes solid wastes arising from the conduct of public services such as street sweeping, landscape maintenance and the clearing of debris brought about by typhoons. Solid Waste Management (SWM), on the other hand, refers to an integrated approach of controlling the generation, as well as managing the storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of solid wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering, conservation, aesthetics and other environmental considerations, which is responsive to public needs. SWM system has six elements: solid waste generation, transfer, recovery/processing, storage, collection and disposal. The audit focused on SWM collection which is the hardest among the six mentioned elements. If not given careful consideration, collection can become the most expensive function of SWM. The uncollected solid wastes piling up in the streets of commercial and residential areas of Metro Manila has been the subject of media documentaries. Quezon City with a total land area of 16,112 hectares and a total population of 2.173 million, has the highest population in Metro Manila (May 2000) with an average annual growth rate of 1.2%. It is composed of 142 barangays, the most populated of which are Commonwealth, Payatas and Batasan Hills. The Quezon City Government aims for a quality management in providing basic services to the City's constituents and the public. To achieve this, the policies and strategies, most particularly in the aspect of environment, are formulated by the City in the following manner: • • •

Get the government and the governed to work together to maintain a clean and green environment; Adopt a cost-effective, "accountable" collection system (following the "clean city" contract); Implement a "total approach" in environmental cleanliness, working to keep streets, parks and water ways debris-free; instill discipline and "clean city practices" through the deployment of environmental police;

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While there is a law (newly enacted Republic Act 9003) on solid wastes management, study and pursue creative ways of solid waste disposal and recovery, and of solid wastes volume reduction through segregation, recycling and composting.

The Quezon City Government envisions itself to be a model of effective governance and responsible leadership working in partnership with the citizenry in building a quality community. Clearly, the purpose of government and the ultimate benchmarks by which the City will measure its success is realized by: • • •

Improving the quality of life of the people of Quezon City; Creating a climate conducive to business and productivity; and Creating a climate for good government and social responsibility.

Side by side with its solid waste collection efforts, the City launched the following support programs: • • • • • •

Environmental Enforcement and Inspection; Project Basura: Hiwa-hiwalay na; Hydrometallurgical Extraction (Hydromex) Technology; Laws/Ordinances on Solid Wastes; Pollution Control; and "Six O’Clock na Bayan" Project.

To achieve the vision of being the cleanest in Metro Manila, the City plans to increase the level of efficiency in solid wastes collection through the following strategies: • • • • • • • •

Continuous updating of existing cells/routes to include new areas which have not been covered by solid waste collection before. This includes new subdivisions, institutions like schools, markets, government offices, among others; Developing and implementing a collection system for inaccessible and high refuse generating areas and areas located along esteros and waterways; Developing and implementing a comprehensive solid wastes reduction program which will entail the participation not only of the City Government but also all major stakeholders like communities, NGOs and private sectors; Strengthening enforcement of existing laws/ordinances pertaining to solid waste management and pushing for the review and enactment of ordinances geared towards the improvement of SWM in the City; Computerizing solid waste collection system including dispatching, reporting and billing; Integrating all units/offices performing functions related to solid waste collection and beautification to maximize utilization of equipment and manpower and to ensure that there will be a balanced distribution of services; Raising the capability of the City on solid wastes management thru the conversion of the Task Force Clean and Green into a regular department and the continuous implementation of human resource development training; and Reviewing existing solid wastes fees for commercial and industrial establishments to conform with the volume and type of solid wastes generated and to look into the possibility of imposing solid waste fees to households.

At present, the Quezon City Government is contracting collection and disposal of solid wastes by "package clean-up" system where the contractor is given the full responsibility to

8 manage/administer and directly carry out actual collection, cleaning and disposal of solid wastes from various sources. These include households, commercial establishments, markets, institutions like offices, schools, churches and streets, alleys, vacant public lots or designated collection points within the area of assignment. SWM is being implemented by the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) of the City, consisting of 93 contractual personnel. In addition, there are also employees detailed from the Department of Public Order and Safety (DPOS) who act as enforcers and from the Community Relations Office (CRO) who monitor the accomplishments of street sweepers. The total budget of the EPWMD for 2002 was P668,131,656, of which P600,000,000 was earmarked for contracting out solid wastes collection, cleaning and disposal services. The City entered into contract with five garbage contractors in the total amount of P541,170,098.28 covering the period July 2002 to June 2003.

AUDIT OBJECTIVE To determine whether the Quezon City Government has undertaken solid wastes collection function in the most efficient and economical manner, giving consideration to: • •

Selection of contractors, including the process of estimating solid wastes generation; and Monitoring of contractor’s performance.

AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY The audit focused on SWM operations covering January 2001 to June 2002 of ten Cities and Municipalities within Metro Manila including Quezon City. The performance of the Cities/Municipalities on SWM was evaluated using the following criteria: • • • • •

Established policies and procedures; Appropriate resources; Sound management and monitoring mechanisms; Effective quality assurance processes; and Cost measures.

The team performed the following audit procedures: • • • • •

Reviewed the existing policies and procedures of the City in the selection of contractors and monitoring their performance; Interviewed personnel assigned in SWM; Reviewed selected contracts and evaluated the selection process; Conducted ocular inspection of facilities used in solid wastes collection function; Reviewed records maintained in monitoring the performance of contractors;

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Assessed the risk management processes in place; and Administered, summarized, and analyzed the survey questionnaires on SWM distributed to selected barangay officials and residents.

The audit was conducted from August 8 to September 6, 2002 pursuant to COA Assignment Order No. 2002-021 dated July 18, 2002.

AUDIT CONCLUSION Generally, the City has not efficiently and economically carried out the SWM function through the satisfactory selection of contractors and monitoring their performance in the collection of solid wastes. While the City was able to formulate guidelines in the selection and awarding of contracts, these were not strictly followed. Moreover, the bidders’ current and present commitments with other LGUs and private entities were not required to be submitted. Hence, the City is not assured that the lists of equipment submitted were totally committed to the City. These resulted in awarding of contracts to contractors with deficient resources leaving uncollected wastes in some areas. Moreover, while the City had established standards to measure the efficiency of contractors, these are inadequate as there were no parameters set to assess their performance. This was aggravated by absence of monitoring strategies and lack of monitors and facilities to monitor contractor’s performance. As a result, contractor’s non-compliance with the requirements of the contract could not be detected. The team also noted that the factor used by the City in estimating solid wastes generation of .585 kg. per person was a little higher than the factor set under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study which is .552 kg. for 2002. Moreover, the City is considering additional household population equivalent to 20% of the total population to cover non-resident employees and students working and studying within the City's premises. The team did not consider this population as this is deemed offset by the City's residents who were also studying and working outside the City's premises. Besides, solid wastes generated by daytime population are concentrated in establishments where they are working or in restaurants or shops which have different factors. This raises concerns on the accuracy of the estimated figures which were used as the basis of contracting costs. The less than satisfactory performance of the City on SWM operation can also be attributed to its failure to establish SWM Board to oversee and coordinate the implementation of SWM operation. As SWM is a continuing activity of the City and mishandling of this function would have a great impact on the environment and health of the citizens, the City should seriously consider addressing these concerns.

MANAGEMENT’S REACTION TO AUDIT OBSERVATIONS The team discussed the audit observations with the City Mayor and concerned City officials on November 5, 2002. Overall, the City acknowledged the team's observations. Their comments were incorporated in the report where appropriate.

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Quezon City Prohibits Open Burning of Garbage Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista signed into a law, an ordinance prohibiting QC residents from burning their garbage, trash or any other refuse materials. Mayor Bautista said that it is about time for the city government to encourage the community dwellers to be part of the city's bid to protect the environment, to meet a balance and healthful ecology that will benefit all QC residents. Ordinance No. 2022 S-2011, known as "Iwas Siga Ordinance of 2011" is intended to encourage the QC residents stop the habit of dumping and burning trash that they fail to dispose during the scheduled collections. The ordinance authors are optimistic that avoiding the practice of burning trash will help minimize pollution and protect the health and safety of others. Some residents are not aware of the health hazards brought about by the smoke from a burning pile of trash, which has become a common practice to get rid of uncollected garbage in spite of the existing laws against the dumping of rubbish. Although the city government continuously provides its constituents with efficient waste garbage collection and disposal, with its regular collection thrice a week along secondary roads and daily at all primary roads, it is necessary that the city government must act to make them aware of the effects of pollution, caused by burning garbage, and what it can do to the body and the environment. The measure has tasked the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) to deputize the Barangay Solid Waste Management Committees (BSWMC) in monitoring the progress of the implementation of the new ordinance. The BSWMCs shall serve a warning notice to the first time violators within a grace period of one month. After the grace period, a penalty of P1, 000 will be imposed for a first offense, P2, 000 for the second offense, and P5, 000 and/or six months to one year of imprisonment, depending on the discretion of the court, for third offense. If the offender is a juridical person, its manager, partner, proprietor, owner or other responsible officer shall serve the penalty of imprisonment.