ILOILO – Of this province’s 42 towns and one component city, 15 has no approved solid waste management plans yet.
The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) identified these towns as the following:
* San Joaquin, Tigbauan and Guimbal in the 1st District
* Leon, Alimodian and San Miguel in the 2nd District
* Cabatuan in the 3rd District
* San Enrique and Barotac Nuevo in the 4th District
* Carles, Balasan, Estancia, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, and Sara in the 5th District
Local government units are required to have 10-year solid waste management plans approved by the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC).
Last week, the PENRO and Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas started reviewing the proposed solid waste management plans of these towns prior to their submission to the NSWMC.
According to Mitzi Peñaflorida, PENRO’s senior environmental management specialist, the target is to present the plans to the NSWMC next month.
“Amo ini ang bible or guide kon paano nila i-manage ang ila basura,” said Peñaflorida.
Solid waste management refers to the discipline associated with the control of generation, 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, and that is also responsive to public attitudes.
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or Republic Act 9003 prohibits local governments from operating open or controlled dumpsites and mandates them to, among others, establish materials recovery facilities, also known as ecology centers, in every barangay or cluster of barangays to promote waste prevention and reduction in the grassroots level.
A materials recovery facility includes a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, drop-off center, a composting facility, and a recycling facility./PN
