Metro Manila’s perpetual waste problem, made evident once again by the recent flooding, can be blamed on decades of poor planning in solid waste management, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla said on Tuesday.
During the post-State of the Nation Address discussion, Mr. Remulla made this remark, citing the capital’s lack of a cohesive and unified plan for how local government units (LGUs) should dispose of their solid waste.
“Mayroon tayong nagtatambak sa Rizal; mayroon tayong nagtatambak sa Quezon City; mayroong nagtatambak hanggang Capas, Tarlac [We have some cities dumping in Rizal; some in Quezon City; and even some as far as Capas, Tarlac],” Mr. Remulla said.
“Dahil sa inefficient ang planning natin in the last 30 years sa solid waste management, ang mga local government units ngayon ay nahihirapan sa collection system [Because our planning for solid waste management over the past 30 years has been inefficient, local government units are now struggling with the collection system],” he added.
The Interior Secretary also said that due to poorly coordinated waste disposal, garbage trucks face difficulties accessing dump sites, as each area they traverse enforces its own restrictions.
“Dapat diyan kasi mayroon tayong systematic approach na east, west, north and … sa buong [We need a systematic approach that east, west, north, and the whole] Metro Manila and south,” Mr. Remulla said.
He also emphasized the need to revisit the Local Government Code of 1991 to establish a more integrated approach to waste management, rather than a fragmented system where each LGU is solely responsible for its own waste.
“The wording of the Local Government Code is one of the biggest hindrances for the government in planning waste management, and it’s something we have to revisit,” Mr. Remulla said.
A World Bank report showed that the waste collection rate in Metro Manila is around 60%, lower than in Southeast Asian cities like Jakarta and Bangkok, which are at 70%.
The uncollected portion of the waste, primarily plastics, usually ends up in rivers and waterways, indicating a lack of efficient collection systems in the country’s capital, the report also said.
Mr. Remulla called for improved regulations on waste collection to better mobilize barangays and municipalities.
On Friday, he added that Metro Manila mayors are scheduled to meet to discuss the institutionalization of disciplinary measures for individuals caught littering. – Edg Adrian A. Eva