EVERY JUNE, Environment Month is observed with pomp and pageantry — slogans are raised, seedlings are handed out, and lectures are delivered across Western Visayas. This year is no different. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 has once again rallied Ilonggos to combat plastic pollution under the theme “Ending Global Plastic Pollution.” Banners are hoisted and tree seedlings are distributed in ceremonies meant to inspire.
But beneath the surface of well-meaning events lies a hard truth: symbolic actions without enforcement are simply green theater.
For years, the region has struggled with waste management issues that cannot be solved by ceremonies alone. In Iloilo City and neighboring towns, illegal garbage dumping persists in rivers, creeks, and vacant lots. Open dumpsites still operate in some areas despite the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 mandating their closure. And while barangay-level waste segregation is preached repeatedly, implementation remains patchy and largely dependent on the enthusiasm of a few local government units or civil society groups.
The problem is not a lack of awareness — it is the absence of political will and consistent enforcement.
Local ordinances that ban single-use plastics are often undermined by poor monitoring and lenient penalties. Landfill overflows, especially in rapidly growing towns, are treated as nuisances to be patched over rather than symptoms of a broken system that demands systemic solutions. In rural areas, the practice of burning garbage remains rampant, contributing to air pollution and health hazards, with very few consequences for violators.
What is the DENR doing to audit the compliance of local government units in Western Visayas? Where are the reports on violators, penalties imposed, or follow-up inspections? These are questions that must be asked — not just during Environment Month, but every month.
We commend the DENR-6 for organizing events that raise environmental consciousness. But true environmental protection cannot rest on optics and inspiration alone. It must be anchored in enforcement, backed by data, and driven by a genuine commitment to hold both individuals and institutions accountable.
Otherwise, we risk turning Environment Month into an annual spectacle of green symbolism — a performance that ends once the last seedling is planted and the applause dies down.
