BULACAN, Philippines - Like other Local Governments Units (LGUs) in the Philippines, enforcement of the Solid Waste Management Ordinance was also an issue at Barangay Caniogan in Malolos City, for many years.
Under Section 32 of Republic Act 9003 (RA 9003), also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, states that "a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) shall be established in each barangay or cluster of barangays." The facility must be built on land owned or leased by the barangay, or in any suitable open space determined by the barangay through its Sanggunian."
“For this purpose, the barangay or cluster of barangays shall allocate a certain parcel of land for the MRF. The determination of site and actual establishment of the facility shall likewise be subject to the guidelines and criteria set pursuant to this Act.”
According to Brgy. Councilor Joel Alejandro of Barangay Caniogan, one of their main concerns in dealing with the issue of SWM is a lack of land in their Barangay for a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
“Problema tungkol sa basura”
“Sa aming barangay wala kaming sariling lupa para pinagtataguan ng MRF, Ang aming pangarap ay magkaroon sariling lupa upang tayuan nito at sa ganon ay mas madali namin mamange ang problema sa basura. Kasalukuyan ay nagbayad lamang kami sa mga truck na naghahakot ng aming basura, kung kami ay magkaroon ng sariling MRF ay makatipid kami at magamit sa iba pang proyekto ang aming pondo” Councilor Alejandro explained.
In a report of Swiss Resource Center and Consultancies for Development (SKAT) says that, despite more than a decade since the passage of Republic Act 9003, enforcing and compliance remain difficult due to technical, political, financial, and organizational constraints of responsible agencies and local
Furthermore, most barangays or local government units lack the resources to access appropriate SWM technologies and conduct necessary research studies for a variety of reasons.
Moreover, more than half of the municipalities in the country are classified as low-income, relying solely on Internal Revenue Allotment shares and thus lacking funds.
Others may have the resources, but lack the ability to organize door-to-door services and manage an MRF.
Similarly, some stakeholders require technical assistance and direction in gaining access to appropriate MRF and SWM technologies, particularly for organic waste, which frequently exceeds 50% in any barangay.
Solid waste management appears to be nothing new to the residents of Barangay Caniogan in Malolos; even former residents have stated that the community has always been prone to flooding due to unorganized waste management and disposal of both residents and officials.
Barangay Caniogan 2020.
(Photo courtesy of Marietta Pascual on Facebook)
Some Barangay residents stated in an interview that the issue did not appear to be addressed by the Barangay. They added that their community's worsening waste management problem is causing severe flooding, but Barangay officials are doing nothing to address it, so the problem persists.
Furthermore, RA 9003 forbids littering, throwing, or dumping waste, as well as causing or permitting the same. Anyone found guilty of this offense must pay a P300 to P1,000 fine or perform community service for 1 to 15 days in the LGU where the offense occurred.
Though the barangay has proposed regulations such as a "no segregation, no collection" policy, it does not appear to be effective because the barangay has not been strict in its implementation, and thus its own residents do not follow such regulations as well.
These laws may have never seen the light of day, however, with garbage ending up on streets, sewage systems, canals, causing heavy flooding. These effects demonstrate clear factors that may have been limited by ineffective enforcement efforts, such as the lack of implementing ordinances in some LGUs, residents' lack of participation in promoting solid waste management, and the general public's lack of awareness about waste disposal and segregation, all of which are present and clear factors in Barangay Caniogan.
Even though this issue has been raised with Barangay officials several times, no adequate and proper action has been taken.
As of today, there have been no updates to the issue. SWM in Barangay Caniogan is still a persistent problem for the community, with a long way to go in resolving it.
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